First inning grand slam helps propel team to 6-1 win

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

The Okaw Valley middle school baseball team wasted no time this morning in letting fans and their opponent know they weren't messing around.
Competing in the quarterfinals of the state tournament at the EastSide Centre in East Peoria, the Timberwolves posted four runs in the first inning after Cody Drake hit a grand slam.
"We told them all year long, get on base early, and we did," said head coach Chris Nichols. "Their pitcher had no choice but to throw Cody strikes and a fast ball, and he smacked it 270 feet straight center field. It really set the tone and it shut Normal down in the dug out."
OVMS added another run in the third inning and while opponent Normal Ephiphany's Joey Harris scored one run in the fifth, OVMS matched it with a run of their own.
Garrett Fritz was solid at the mound for OVMS, going all seven innings, allowing just four hits, one run, and striking out seven.
"Garrett did a phenomenal job on the mound," said Nichols. "He threw strikes and then let the defense to the work. He's consistently been our no. 1 pitcher all year. He did a fantastic job. He just gives the defense a lot of confidence when he pitches.
"Our defense was outstanding," added the coach. "They turned two double plays, threw a guy out at second on a potential double, and also picked off a guy on second late in the game. They were starting to get some runners on and make some noise, but our defense, three or four times, just shut the door; they'd make a play to get us out of an inning. After that grand slam, it gave us the lead and the defense held it."
Drake and Fritz led the team in hits, with two each.
Austin Harshman had one hit and one run, while Jared Bunfill and Sam Hagerman each had a run.
OVMS now 19-1, entered the tournament with the best record and defeated Normal Ephiphany 6-1, who came in at 19-4.
The Timberwolves will get set to play tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m. in the semifinal against the winner of Springfield Blessed Sacrament and Joliet St. Paul. As of 1 p.m. today, St. Paul led 3-0 in the third inning.
If the Timberwolves go on to win tomorrow's semifinal, they will inherit a championship birth at 4 p.m. If instead they lose in the semifinal, they will play in the third place game at 2 p.m.
Our mentality is going to be the same as it has been all year," said Nichols. "Obviously this time the pressure will be off us a bit after getting through this first game and playing on this diamond in front of this big crowd–our nerves will be down.
"It doesn't matter who we face, we say before every game, "110"–they're going to give 110 percent and let everything else take care of itself. If we go out there like we have all year, we're going to be just fine."

UPDATE 2:11 p.m.

Joliet St. Paul defeated Springfield Blessed Sacrament 10-0, going just five innings. St. Paul (12-5) will face OVMS (19-1) at 9:30 a.m. at the EastSide Centre in East Peoria tomorrow morning.