It wasn't that long ago, Sale Creek baseball was more likely a one and done postseason type program, but over the past four seasons some of the loudest playoff roars have been via the Panthers.
Sale Creek won its 11th straight game Friday night, no-hitting visiting Copper Basin in the process in a 15-0 run ruling to earn a spot in the District 5-A championship game for the fourth consecutive season. The Panthers added another notch to their school-record 24 wins and will play the winner of Saturday's Lookout Valley versus CSLA game in Monday's title bout at Sale Creek in a 6 o'clock first pitch.
And has been the ammo all year, the Panthers did it with another solid pitching outing, this time by Ridge Morgan, who threw his second no-hitter of the year, striking out eight and allowing just two base runners. It was the 20th time Sale Creek has allowed three runs or less this year and the team's sixth shutout.
"I will put our pitching staff, top to bottom, up against anyone in the state," said second-year coach Dalton Conley. "What Jimmy Pierce did with the program before I took it over was break down some hurdles, and this team is trying to continue breaking them down. We're excited about playing for a third district title in the past four years, but this team has its eyes on adding some more firsts to the program."
Sale Creek's senior class has now amassed 73 wins in four years and to put that into perspective the Panthers won a total of 84 games combined the previous 18 seasons before that, and the district title three years ago was the program's first in 42 years. Yet come Monday, it will look to add a third crown in four seasons.
"This senior class has set the bar high. And it's not just about the talent, but the work ethic and all the little things it takes to build a program. They have seen their classmates win the school's first state title in volleyball, and they have seen the success Jason Fitzgerald has brought to the football program. They want to be the next in line. There is no what about us. Every time they go out on the field, they expect to win the game," added Conley.
Certainly most expected to win the district semifinals against a Copper Basin team that won just three games coming into the series, but Sale Creek made sure it was over quickly, despite a 40-minute rain delay.
The Panthers (24-3) batted around in the first and second innings, pushing across six and five runs in the two frames to put it out of reach. A Justin Griffin walk and Kole Sivley's single started the barrage before Maverick McCary double and Christian Moreno's single plated them both. Brayden Grimes' ground out got another in before two walks led to a two-run single by Ridge Morgan to make it 6-0.
Ten more batters got plate opportunities in the five-run second with Jackson McClendon driving in a run with an infield single, Morgan chasing home one with a ground out, and Griffin rifling a liner to right to plate one. A wild pitch and a dropped fly ball in center led to the other two runs.
From there it was all Morgan who didn't allow a ball out of the infield, whiffing eight of the 13 batters he faced while walking just one and allowing another on via an error. He did it on just 55 pitches.
"We've got four guys with sub 2.00 ERAs and fifty-plus strikeouts on the year and any of them can get it done. Ridge did the job tonight and that's the second no-hitter for him. We have a staff to make a deep run. These guys have prepared for this run for four years now, and it's rigth there in front of them," added Conley.
The Panthers have been especially tough during the current win streak, allowing just 18 runs in the 11 wins, and have yet to allow more than seven runs in any game.
And when the hitting is clicking like last night. They were patient enough to wait out eight walks and got two on by a hits batsmen, but then punched out nine timely hits. Moreno led the charge with two hits and two RBI, while Sivley and McCary each added two hits. Griffin drew three walks and drove in two runs and Morgan helped his own cause with one hit and three RBI on the night.
Cade Dean and Tucker Rhodes were Copper Basin's lone base runners.
Game Summary
Copper Basin 000 0 -- 0 0 3
Sale Creek 652 2 -- 15 9 1
Cade, Hughes (3) and Rhodes; Morgan and Moreno.
(Contact James Beach at 1134james@gmail,com)