William Monroe coach Mike Maynard wasn’t sure that senior pitcher Ryan Leake was going to get through the fourth inning. Leake wasn’t so sure either, but then his best pitch, his changeup, started working.
“That’s my best pitch, that’s what I’ve been working on in practice,” Leake said. “I know if I throw my changeup really good it’s going to drop — it’s something I trust in.”
The senior righthander, who only takes the mound occasionally for the Dragons and almost never before this season, settled in from there and threw the complete game to the tune of a 10-2 victory over Dan River in the Region B semifinals. The win clinches a state tournament berth for William Monroe for the second straight year.
“I didn’t know if we could do this this year,” Maynard said. “We’ve gotten great leadership from the four guys who played a lot last year, Keegan Woolford, Jack Morris, Ryan Leake and Austin Batten. They’ve led the way and the younger kids keep getting better and better.”
Perhaps most importantly, it allowed the Dragons to rest every other pitcher on the roster as they prepare for a critical Region II championship game against Wilson Memorial. A victory against the Hornets would secure a home game in the Group A, Division 2 tournament.
Monroe blew the game open in the fourth inning when, after loading the bases, Jack Morris connected on a hard-hit single and scored one. Then sophomore Anthony Sneska scored two more with a hit to right field. Suddenly a 3-2 nailbiter was firmly in Monroe’s control at 6-2.
From there, Leake took control with his offspeed stuff. He struck out just two, but the Dragons’ solid defense behind him allowed fly ball after fly ball and ground ball after ground ball to end innings. It was his first complete game effort.
“His changeup was excellent and he’s just a bulldog,” Maynard said. “He’ll do anything I ask him to do, I just love coaching the kid.”
Austin Batten then essentially put the game away with a fifth-inning, bases-clearing triple.
Monroe will take on Wilson Friday at 7 p.m. at home.
