The Macon-East Montgomery Academy Varsity Knights put an end to the Morgan Academy baseball season with victories over the Senators 9-2 and 11-5 in the second round of the AISA Class AA State Baseball Championship Playoffs, Tuesday, April 22.
“We are obviously disappointed with the outcome tonight and it was not our best performance,” Morgan Academy head baseball coach Paul Thomas said following the second round playoff losses. He gave credit, however, to Macon East and how they played.
Thomas said of his Senators, “This team has had a lot work against them this year, but they just continued to work hard in practice and that hard work carried them one step further this season than last.”
Thomas continued, “I really hurt for this senior group, who for some have played their last game… This group has been very productive, and their leadership played a big part in the success this team had this year.”
The Senators went 13-13 overall and 2-4 in region play.
In game one, Barron Frazer took the hill for Morgan Academy Varsity Senators. He allowed five hits and nine runs (five earned) over five and one-third innings, striking out 13 and walking six in the 9-2 loss.
Frazer, Speedie Pernell, Jake Sams and Clifton Smith each collected one hit for Morgan. Wallis Gilmore led Morgan with two runs batted in.
In game two, the Senators couldn’t keep up with Macon-East Montgomery and fell 11-5.
In the bottom of the first inning, the Senators took the lead after Pernell homered to right field, and Gilmore stole home, each scoring one run.
Cade Henderson hit a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the third for Morgan.
Henderson took the mound first for Morgan, allowing nine hits and eight runs over six innings, striking out five and walking three.
Pernell went 2-for-3 at the plate for the Senators and led the team with two runs batted in. Gilmore stole two bases. The Senators had patience at the plate, collecting six walks for the game and amassing five stolen bases for the game.