Glenwood settles for split vs. Morgan Academy

Glenwood and Morgan Academy split their two games Thursday night at Bill Bowers Park in the first round of the AISA Class 3A state tournament.

The top-ranked Gators won 11-1 in the first game and the Senators holding on for a 6-5 win in the nightcap in the best-of-three series.

That split forces the third game today at 3 p.m. with Tyler Cadenhead named as the starting pitcher for Glenwood (37-4). Morgan (21-11) did not name its starter Thursday.

“We simply did not match their intensity in the second game,” Glenwood coach Tim Fanning said. “We had runners at second and third in the first two innings and only scored one total run and you can’t leave those out there in the playoffs.

“We came back and had the tying run at second with one out in the last inning but couldn’t get him home.”

Glenwood was the visitor in the second contest and scored one run, but the Senators put the first five base runners on and took the lead back 2-1 in the bottom of the inning. The Gators took the lead back, 3-2 with two in the fourth.

Morgan exploded for four runs in the fifth against Glenwood’s Carson Hicks.

That made it 6-3 when Glenwood had a comeback in the seventh. Hicks hit a double that narrowed the margin to 6-5 but did not get any further and Morgan earned the split. It was Hicks’ first loss of the year.

In the first game, Glenwood battered four Morgan pitchers as the Senators pitching staff as a whole hit five batters and walked six more. The Gators scored in every inning of the game but the fourth with Nick Adams hitting his first home run of the year and Hicks hitting a home run as well.

Both Adams and Hicks had three RBIs in the game.

Meanwhile, Daniel Holley was masterful as he allowed only two hits, and kept the Senators at bay with a complete game of six innings.

“Daniel did what we ask him to do, throw strikes and we were patient at the plate, taking the walks and free passes. That is what got us the runs,” Fanning said.

“Now we have to go back and get after it tomorrow.”

This story was originally published April 21, 2016 at 9:32 PM with the headline "Glenwood settles for split vs. Morgan Academy."