McCormack, Morton get by Gavit

GARY - After having a major hand Morton's historic football season last fall, Chris McCormack is not used to slow starts.

The Governors third baseman was also one of the quarterbacks on Morton's squad that scored first and asked questions later on its way to the program's first regional championship.

But that was back in November. It's been a different story for Morton this month getting off to a slow start in the baseball season. So McCormack knew it was time to call an audible.

"This was a real big game for us against them because it opens our conference season," he said. "I'm just glad to get out of my slump."

McCormack had four hits, including a seventh-inning triple which led to Brandon Valentine's third RBI on a sacrifice fly as Morton (2-4, 1-0 GLAC) withstood a Gavit comeback in a 6-5 victory in the RailCats Baseball Challenge at U.S. Steel Yard Saturday in a game that was summed up perfectly by Gavit coach Tony Harris.

"I'll give my kids credit for not quitting, but there were too many walks from them and too many hits given up by us," he said.

Sure enough, the Gavit comeback from a 5-1 fifth-inning deficit was aided by three walks, three wild pitches and a hit batsman. The Gladiators tied the game on one hit, the final run scoring on a wild pitch that allowed Fred Ebner to score.

But in the seventh, McCormack drove a pitch to deep left center that looked like it would be a leadoff double. But McCormack gambled and tried a quarterback draw to third.

Risky? Yes. Successful? Yes again, although McCormack barely beat the relay throw to third from shortstop Pat Giglio. Two batters later, Saturday officially became Valentines' day as his sacrifice fly to center scored the winning run.

Pitcher Aurelio Cazales got the win after keeping the game tied in the fifth, and retiring every batter he faced afterward, including striking out four in 2 2/3 innings.

"I was just looking for my pitches and drive Chris in," said Valentine, who also was in a slump before his two-run single in the third inning. "This was our first really big game because they beat us to begin conference last year."

Giglio and Deandre Gilmore reached base twice with Giglio driving in a run for Gavit.

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