Washington continues roll through baseball postseason with spot in Sweet 16

Washington has earned a shot at winning its third Class 3A baseball sectional title in five years.

The Panthers beat Joliet Catholic Academy, 5-1, on Wednesday in the first semifinal of the Metamora Sectional. This game was played on the artificial turf at Illinois Valley Central in Chillicothe after rain left the Redbirds home field unplayable.

Now, Washington (27-10) advances to face Morris (27-8) — an 8-4 winner over Dunlap in the nightcap — at 10:30 a.m. Saturday back at Metamora.

Three runs in the bottom of the first was all Washington needed. Micah McCoy’s RBI single started the scoring followed by Carter Prina bringing McCoy home with a double.

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A bases loaded walk to Sam Peters wrapped up the damage for the Panthers, who have outscored their three postseason opponents, 16-3.

Prina then took over on the mound. The senior right-hander (10-1) tossed a four-hitter, striking out four and walked three on 101 pitches. He left at least one JCA runner stranded in all but one inning.

Two Washington insurance runs came in the fourth thanks to Eli Roedell and Haydon Hawksworth each recording an RBI base hit. The top six hitters in Washington’s lineup accounted for their half-dozen hits.

Morris 8, Dunlap 4

After a big first inning, the Eagles (28-8) looked well on its way to making it an all-Mid-Illini Conference final.

Dunlap sent all nine hitters to the plate in the opening, scoring three runs off three walks, two hits and two errors. Michigan State signee Davis Weeks singled to left, scoring Simon Malcolm for the game’s first run.

Ryder Rennette then scored on an infield error along with Christian Ferrari crossing homeplate on a bases-loaded walk.

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But that’s would be the last time Dunlap would lead, seeing Morris score a run in the third, four in the fourth, one in the fifth and two in the sixth. The big blow came Morris, which finished third in Class 3A last season, scored all four of its fourth-inning runs with two outs highlighted by Ximi Baftiri’s two-RBI single to right.

Malcolm finished 2-for-4 as Dunlap managed just four hits. Brett Bounds led the 10-hit offensive attack for Morris, which got a solo home run from pitcher and Illinois commit Jack Wheeler (6.0 innings, six strikeouts, six walks).

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA baseball: Washington advances to Class 3A sectional final