Lakewood – Adam Morrison admittedly began his day in the Class 5A championship series feeling a little uneasy, a little apprehensive.
But by the time it was completed, he had saved the Bruins’ victory in the first game and practically pitched a masterpiece in the second.
Morrison, a left-handed senior, earned a save in Cherry Creek’s 4-3 victory Friday morning over Green Mountain in the first round, then threw a complete game in a 4-1 afternoon victory over Arvada West in which he faced one more than the minimum batters.
The Bruins, who improved to 20-3, advanced to meet Grand Junction on Saturday to keep control of the winners’ bracket.
“I was a little shaky,” Morrison said of coming in during the seventh inning against Green Mountain.
With the Bruins leading by a run, Morrison inherited a runner at second base, gave up two walks and a sacrifice, then struck out Rams cleanup hitter Thomas Myers and got Matt Baabe on a flyball to center.
He carried that momentum into the afternoon game. He had four 1-2-3 innings, picked off a runner at second base and allowed just three hits. He did not give up a run until the seventh, when A-West losing pitcher Ryan Hill homered with an out to go.
Morrison didn’t walk a batter.
“My arm felt good, and we just came out with the intensity we needed,” he said.
Said Cherry Creek coach Marc Johnson: “He’s really good, although he struggled somewhat this year, but he’s starting to come around. You’re not going to pitch much better than that.”
Morrison cruised after an early cushion. In the first, a triple from Danny Sheridan, singles by Tyler Robbins and Brett Sowers, two stolen bases, an error and a sacrifice made it 3-0.
It was all Morrison needed. He was never in trouble and he and his mates had control of the air against A-West. He managed 12 outs on popups to the infield or flyballs to the outfield.
“We hit some balls hard but right at them,” Wildcats coach Jim Capra said.
Todd Weir had three hits for the Bruins. Joey Mills knocked in another run in the sixth.
In the Bruins’ opener, senior catcher Willie Watters drove in three runs.
And in A-West’s first game, senior left-hander Anthony Capra was overpowering, striking out 18 batters in a 3-2 decision against Smoky Hill.
CHERRY CREEK 4, ARVADA WEST 1
Cherry Creek 300 001 0 – 4 9 0
Arvada West 000 000 1 – 1 3 2
Cherry Creek – Sheridan cf 3-1-2-0, Robbins ss 3-1-1-1, Sowers 2b 4-1-1-0, Bryant dh 2-0-1-1, McDonald lf 2-0-0-0, Halpern 1b 4-0-0-0, Weir 3b 4-1-3-0, Watters c 3-0-0-0, Mills rf 3-0-1-1. Totals 28-4-9-3.
Arvada West – Pavlich c 3-0-0-0, Zott ss 3-0-0-0, A. Capra 1b 3-0-0-0, Hill p 3-1-1-1, McDougal cf 3-0-0-0, Ballard 3b 2-0-0-0, Harmen lf 2-0-0-0, Hall rf 2-0-2-0, V. Capra 2b 1-0-0-0, Vinnola ph 0-0-0-0, Campbell cr 0-0-0-0. Totals 22-1-3-1.
E – Pavlich, Zott. LOB – Cherry Creek 8, Arvada West 1. DP – Cherry Creek. SB – Robbins, Sowers. SAC – McDonald.
3B – Sheridan. HR – Hill, solo in seventh.
Batteries – Morrison and Watters; Hill and Pavlich. W – Morrison (6-2). L – Hill (7-1). HBP – Robbins (by Hill). WP – Hill 3.
ARVADA WEST 3, SMOKY HILL 2
Arvada West 020 010 0 – 3 7 0
Smoky Hill 011 000 0 – 2 4 0
A. Capra and Pavlich; Burnette and Glime. W – A. Capra (8-2), complete game, 18 Ks. L – Burnette (5-3). HR – Harmen, AW, one on in second; Zott, AW, solo in fifth. Highlights – Hall, AW, 2-for-3, McDougal, AW, 2-for-3; Snyder, SH, 2-for-3, RBI.
CHERRY CREEK 4, GREEN MOUNTAIN 3
Green Mountain 002 000 1 – 3 10 1
Cherry Creek 021 001 x – 4 7 0
Bryant, Morrison (7) and Watters; Osif and Miller. W – Bryant (8-0). L – Osif (7-5). HR – Sowers, CC, solo in third; Robinson, GM, solo in seventh. Highlights – Watters, CC, 1-for-2, 3 RBIs; McDonald, CC, for-2, double, 2 runs scored; Mills, CC, 2-for-3; Barban, GM, 3-for-3, 2 doubles; Baabe, GM, 2-for-4.
