Recapping Liberty North baseball’s journey to Missouri Class 6 State Championship
LIBERTY, Mo. — In her book Grit, Angela Duckworth describes grit as the combination of passion and perseverance. Perhaps no local team exemplified that combination more than the 2022 Liberty North baseball squad. What follows are some tales of grit from the Eagles’ run to the Missouri Class 6 State Championship.
The heroic moments in the postseason run will long be a part of Eagle sports lore. Tate McGuire’s game-winning two-run single in the District Championship game against cross-town rival and defending State champion LIberty; Landon McGinness’s seventh-inning, game-tying grand slam and Jackson Downing’s two-out walk-off single in the quarterfinal win over Ray-Pec; and Jack Lemasters’s tenth-inning walk-off walk to beat Francis Howell in the semifinal will be discussed at class reunions for years to come. Other performances during the title run went more under-the-radar, but still reflect the Eagles’ grit.
Pitcher Aaron Lewis closed his junior season taking the loss in the 2021 District Championship game to eventual State title winner Liberty. At the first meeting of the 2022 Eagle pitching staff, Lewis told his teammates he had been carrying that loss with him. He encouraged them to “follow me” as he planned to lead the team as it avenged that loss and advanced in the State playoffs. Lewis made two postseason starts, the first against Liberty in the District title game and the second against Francis Howell in the State semifinal. While Lewis did not figure into the decision in either game, the walk-off victories don’t happen without him fulfilling his pledge to his teammates.
In the 7-6 quarterfinal victory over Ray-Pec, McGinness provided the biggest hit with his game-tying grand slam. He would have never had that opportunity without the success of the hitters ahead of him. Leading 6-2, Ray-Pec retired the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh. Frankie Palma was down to his last strike before starting the rally with a single to right field. Downing also got down to his last strike before battling for a base on balls. Bo Jonas then walked to load the bases and set the stage for McGinness’s heroics.
In the State semifinal, Francis Howell jumped to a 3-1 lead over the Eagles. With two runners on in the fourth inning, Head Coach Ryan Stegall called on Jeffery Cisneros to pinch hit. The senior singled in two runs to tie the game at 3, a score that held until Lemasters’s game-ending walk in the 10th inning.
Two other key performances in the semifinal came courtesy of Downing on the mound and Trey Snyder in the field. Downing, a junior righthander, pitched four scoreless innings in relief. Meanwhile, Snyder did his part to keep the Vikings off the scoreboard with several highlight-reel-worthy plays at shortstop.
Junior second baseman and pitcher Ty Wisdom’s postseason pitching performances also got overshadowed by the dramatic finishes. Wisdom, however, was the winning pitcher against Liberty, Ray-Pec, and Francis Howell. In those three games, he pitched eight total innings without allowing a run.
Finally (pun intended), was the performance of Zach DeFreece in the State title game, an 11-5 victory over Blue Springs South. DeFreece didn’t make the 2021 Liberty North team as a junior. He did, however, continue to pursue baseball over the summer and during the off-season. His work paid off when he made the 2022 team and became a key contributor out of the bullpen for the Eagles. In the State Championship, he pitched the final two scoreless innings and punctuated the title with a back flip in the middle of the field. From not making the team one year to closing out the State Championship the following season, DeFreece’s journey genuinely reflects the coming together of passion and perseverance.
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