High School Baseball: Mark Morris, R.A. Long split Civil War twinbill
PHOTO GALLERY — Monarchs rally in nightcap to even rivalry series with Lumberjacks at Story Field
Skyler Smith for BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com
2A Prep Baseball / Report
STORY FIELD — Under dark, overcast skies in a Civil War rivalry matchup between crosstown rivals, the Mark Morris baseball team turned in a composed, complete performance to pull away from R.A. Long for a 5-1 win in the nightcap of their 2A Greater St. Helens League doubleheader, Friday, at Story Field.
The Lumberjacks turned in a shutout in the opener of the Civil War series earlier in the day, winning 2-0.
In a rematch that briefly tilted in favor of the Lumberjacks, Mark Morris responded immediately and never let momentum slip, using timely hitting and strong pitching to secure the rivalry win.
“I think it started on the mound,” Mark Morris head coach Brock Myklebust said. “Riley threw strikes, forced contact, and at the plate we just stayed within our approach. We weren’t trying to do too much—we just made things happen when they were there.”
It was a tough result for a R.A. Long team that struck first but was unable to build on its early momentum.
After a quiet opening frame, R.A. Long broke through in the second.
The Lumberjacks manufactured a run through patience and pressure, taking advantage of walks and an error before Carson Libby lined an RBI single into center field to give R.A. Long a 1-0 lead.
“I think we had some guys grow up a little bit today,” R.A. Long head coach Ryan Littlefield said. “We had some really good at-bats that might not show up in the box score, and we played some pretty good defense. We just have to execute better with runners in scoring position.”
— VIDEO: Highlights from the Civil War baseball doubleheader between R.A. Long and Mark Morris, Friday, April 17, at Story Field. The Monarchs won the nightcap 5-1, and the Lumberjacks won the opener 2-0. / Video by Patrick Durgeloh for Blast Zone Media —
