Oran baseball moves closer to a state title with 7-1 Class 1 semifinal win over Green City

Oran's Layne Johnson delivers a pitch during a Class 1 semifinal against Green City on Wednesday at CarShield Park in O'Fallon, Missouri.

BEN MATTHEWS

O'FALLON, Mo. -- With the final out recorded and a spot in the championship game secured, Layne Johnson stepped off the mound. Chills spread throughout his body as he walked towards the first-base dugout.

Overcome by emotions, Johnson rose his right arm and pointed his index finger to the sky. Thanks to Johnson's complete-game performance on the mound, Oran baseball is now just one win away from its second-ever state championship.

"That was just spur of the moment thing," Johnson said. "I was like, 'Man, this feels awesome.'"

Johnson gave up three hits, one walk and no earned runs while striking out 10 to lead the Eagles past Green City 7-1 in a Class 1 state semifinal on Wednesday at CarShield Field.

Oran's Cole Priggel tries to slide under a tag at the plate in the seventh inning of the Class 1 baseball state semifinal game against Green City on Wednesday, May 30, 2018 at CarShield Field in O'Fallon, Missouri.

BEN MATTHEWS ~ bmatthews@semissourian.com

In its first state appearance since 2013, Oran will face St. Elizabeth for the state championship at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.

"It's my senior year," Johnson said. "Before this year, we were 0-3 (in districts). To get into the championship game my senior year just means everything."

The Eagles (17-9) took an early lead with a run in the second and kept adding to their advantage, scoring at least one run in five of the seven innings.

At the plate, Drew Reischman and Cole Priggel each had a double and three hits as Oran finished with 10 hits as a team. The Eagles also took advantage of five Green City (14-3) errors to score three unearned runs, including the game's first run.

Priggel led off the second inning with a single and advanced to third on an errant pickoff throw. Kole Simms then drove him in with a sacrifice fly to center.

"Once you get that first run, everything seems to start to flow more," Priggel said. "Once you get up here, it's a pretty big game, but you try not to focus on that. It's a big relief once you get that first one."

Oran's Jacob Shoemaker takes a breath after safely arriving at third base in the sixth inning of the Class 1 baseball state semifinal game against Green City on Wednesday, May 30, 2018 at CarShield Field in O'Fallon, Missouri.

BEN MATTHEWS ~ bmatthews@semissourian.com

The Eagles followed with another run the next time up. Todd Priggel drew a four-pitch walk and then scored from first on a Drew Reischman double off the center field wall to give Oran a 2-0 lead.

In the fifth and sixth innings Oran took advantage of a combined four Green City errors to push two more runs across.

"We were aggressive at the plate," Oran coach Joe Bickings said. "We were able to put the balls in play like you said and put pressure on them. ... We got some sacrifice flies, bunts down. We did all the little things right today to give us the 'W.'"

With Johnson in a groove on the mound, Oran rolled from there. After allowing one base runner in both the first and second innings, Johnson retired 10 straight. The ball didn't leave the infield until Jeremy McCarty's single to left field with two outs in the fifth.

"We got the early lead," Johnson said. "I mean, early lead is always good for me whenever I'm pitching because our boys are pretty good at defense, and once we get rolling the runs just keep coming, I feel like."

The Eagles broke the game open with three runs in the top of the seventh, tallying five hits and knocking Green City starter Camden Williams out of the game.

Williams took the loss, giving up seven runs (four earned) in 6 2/3 innings.

Green City's lone run came in the seventh thanks to two Oran errors. With the win, Johnson improved to 9-3 on the season.

"He's been lights out the last five or six games," Bickings said. "We expect that of him, being a senior and kind of being our ace of our staff. He came out, pumping strikes early. ... He just looked like he got stronger and stronger as the game went on."

While Johnson didn't get a shutout, it did nothing to damper his mood.

The moment had been four years in the making.

After falling in the district championship to the eventual state champions, Bell City, for the past three years, it's now Oran's turn to try to win a state championship.

It all comes down to one game.

"I've been looking forward to this ever since I was watching my older cousins play up here," Cole Priggel said. "It's pretty big."

WP -- Layne Johnson. LP -- Camden Williams. 2B -- Drew Reischman (O), Cole Priggel (O), Denver Elfrink (O). Multiple hits -- Oran: Reischman 3-4, Priggel 3-3.