CV (15-4) entered the State playoffs as District 4’s champ and lone representative, taking on District 3 runner-up Mount Calvary Christian (9-5) at home in Westfield, but it would be the Chargers who would come out swinging after a long trip to take a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. 

Starting pitcher Ayren Morgan and the Indians’ defense settled in after the 2-run first .. where Mount Cavalry took advantage of two base hits and two CV errors .. allowing just two more hits and committing one error the rest of the way. 

After a scoreless second frame, CV used singles by Hunter Simonds and Loagan Stickler and a fielder’s choice by Dave Hess to give Morgan a chance to help his own cause. The junior drove a two-out single to centerfield, scoring both Stickler and Hess, to tie the game up at 2-all. 

In the home half of the fourth CV would again do their damage with two outs, as Simonds singled to score Gavin Churchill .. who had reached base on a fielder’s choice .. and moved William Kies .. who had singled .. to second. A Mount Calvary error in right field off Stickler’s bat scored Kies and the Indians took a 4-2 lead into the fifth inning. 

Morgan was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the fifth and Lucas Hamilton and Levi Stahli both singled. Stahli's’s drive to left field was mishandled by Mount Calvary, allowing Morgan to score, Hamilton to reach third and leaving the Indians' catcher on second base with no outs.

Danny Smith scored Hamilton with a sacrifice fly to left field and after Churchill walked, Kies reached base on an error that scored Stahli. The visiting Chargers would get out of the inning but not before CV took a 7-2 lead. 

Morgan returned to the mound for the start of the sixth inning, but after a leadoff single by Mount Calvary, CV Head Coach Jamie St. Peters went to his reliever, Hess, to come in and finish off the Chargers. 

Morgan officially went five innings to earn the win, allowing the two unearned runs on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts, while Hess finished the final inning, giving up no hits or runs, hitting one batter and striking one out. 

The Indians faced a new arm in the bottom of the sixth and drew five straight walks .. by Morgan, Hamilton, Stahli, Smith and Churchill. Morgan scored from third on a bases-loaded balk by Mount Calvary and Hamilton came in on Smith’s free pass before Kies stroked a double to left field that scored both Stahli and Smith and left CV one run away from reaching the mercy rule. 

Simonds hit into a fielder’s choice but Churchill was able to beat the throw home and the Indians’ secured the 12-2, six-inning win.

Kies (2b, 2 rbi, 1 run) and Simonds (2 rbi) .. CV’s No. 8 and 9 hitters .. each had a pair of base hits to lead the Indians at the plate. Morgan had a hit and added two RBI and two runs scored while Hamilton and Stahli each had a hit and two runs scored, Stickler and Hess each had a hit and scored once, Churchill had an RBI and scored twice and Smith had an RBI and a run scored. 

Cowanesque Valley (16-4) advances to Thursday’s Class A State quarterfinals with the win, where they’ll face Southern Fulton, the District 5 champ. A time and location hasn’t yet been announced.