Oak Ridge reaches it first state quarterfinal

OAK RIDGE -- The Oak Ridge baseball team made school history Monday.

The Blue Jays hope they're not done in that area.

"We aren't going to stop," senior shortstop Ethan Sachs said.

Oak Ridge defeated visiting Winona 3-1 in a Class 1 state sectional game, advancing the Blue Jays to Wednesday's quarterfinal round and within one more win of the final four.

The Blue Jays will play either Cooter or Bernie -- that sectional contest will be played today after it was rained out Monday -- on the road Wednesday.

Oak Ridge shortstop Ethan Sachs tags out Winona's Chayse Hollis who tried to steal second base during the first inning of their Class 1 sectional game Monday at Oak Ridge. (Fred Lynch)

According to the Missouri State High School Activities Association record book, this is the first time Oak Ridge has made the quarterfinals in any sport.

"I'm very proud of the guys," said Oak Ridge coach Jason Niswonger, whose squad improved to 13-6 and ended Winona's season at 11-6.

Oak Ridge, which last week won the school's sixth district baseball championship -- and first since 1993 -- rode timely hitting, solid defense and the exceptional pitching of Brett Thomas to Monday's victory.

Thomas, a sophomore, was the star of the game as he fired a five-hitter while leading Oak Ridge's five-hit attack with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate.

Thomas, Oak Ridge's leading hitter on the season with an average of better than .400 -- along with five homers and a slugging percentage of nearly .900 -- also had the Blue Jays' only RBI Monday.

The Blue Jays' Brett Thomas delivers a pitch to a Winona batter during Monday's Class 1 sectional game. Thomas struck out 13 batters and allowed five hits.

"This was probably by far my best game," Thomas said of his work on the mound.

Thomas, who missed some time early in the season with an injury, struck out 13 and walked none, although he did hit two batters.

"I was hitting my spots with my fastball and I threw in an occasional curve," said Thomas, whose record is 3-1.

The top of the first inning gave no indication that Thomas would dominate the Wildcats.

Winona leadoff batter Austin Fisher doubled to open the game and scored on a one-out single by Chayse Hollis.

Oak Ridge players douse coach Jason Niswonger while celebrating their victory over Winona. (Fred Lynch)

"I missed my spot two times in the first inning and they mashed it both times," Thomas said.

Thomas rarely missed his spot the rest of the way as he allowed just three hits and struck out 12 over the final six innings.

Thomas nailed down the victory in style by striking out the side in the seventh inning, after he hit the second batter of the frame.

"It was a great way to finish the game," Thomas said.

Said Niswonger: "Brett pitched great. My pitching rotation is four deep and I have all the confidence in the world in every one of them."

ABOVE: Oak Ridge's Stephen Wright scores on a wild pitch during the fifth inning. BELOW: Oak Ridge players douse coach Jason Niswonger after their 3-1 sectional victory.

Winona ace Logan Holthouse was almost as good as Thomas. Holthouse also fired a five-hitter while striking out 14, but he was hurt by four walks and two wild pitches that allowed runs to score.

"He was throwing pretty good, but the second or third inning we started hitting him," said Sachs, one of just two Oak Ridge seniors, the other being first baseman Stephen Wright.

The Blue Jays went ahead for good with a two-run third inning. Freshman DH Jacob Light, Oak Ridge's No. 9 batter, led off with a walk and went to third on a double by junior catcher Garret Light.

Jacob Light scored on a wild pitch to tie the contest.

After a walk to freshman second baseman Dakota Zoellner and a strikeout, Garret Light came home when Thomas reached on an error by the shortstop. Thomas received an RBI for his ground ball, which would have scored the run from third base anyway.

Oak Ridge baserunner Jacob Light scores on a passed ball as Winona pitcher Logan Holthaus covers the plate during the third inning of the Class 1 District 3 sectional game Monday at Oak Ridge. (Fred Lynch)

Oak Ridge scratched across its final run in the fifth. Wright was hit by a pitch leading off. After a single by Thomas and a walk to Sachs loaded the bases, Wright came in on a one-out wild pitch.

"We have struggled on offense, but when you have this kind of pitching, you don't need much offense," Niswonger said.

The Blue Jays were solid defensively as they had just one error, turned a double play and Garret Light threw out a runner trying to steal in the first inning after Winona had gone ahead 1-0. Thomas is normally Oak Ridge's catcher when he doesn't pitch.

"We played great defense," Sachs said. "We played great all around."

Added a smiling Sachs, pointing to Thomas: "And this guy threw a hell of a game."

Thomas said he had a good feeling about the Blue Jays all season, and especially lately.

"It came down to chemistry and how much we wanted to win," he said. "We really came together as a team the last few weeks."

Sachs, who has a 5-1 pitching record, will get the ball in Wednesday's quarterfinal game as the Blue Jays try to keep making school history.

"I'm ready," he said.

Winona 100 000 0 -- 1 5 1

Oak Ridge 002 010 X -- 3 5 1

WP -- Brett Thomas, 3-1. LP -- Logan Holthouse. 2B --Austin Fisher (W), Garret Light (O). Multiple hits -- Winona, Chayse Hollis 2-2, Brett Atkins 2-3; Oak Ridge, Thomas 2-3. Records -- Winona 11-6, Oak Ridge 13-6.