Check out photos from the title game COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Handing St. Edward senior pitcher Stetson Allie a four-run lead is like giving sprinter Usain Bolt a two-second head start in the 100-meter dash.
The celebration gets underway for the St. Edward High School baseball team after claiming the state Div. I title on Sunday in Columbus.
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(Joe Maiorana / ImpactActionPhotos.com)
Check out photos from the title game
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Handing St. Edward senior pitcher Stetson Allie a four-run lead is like giving sprinter Usain Bolt a two-second head start in the 100-meter dash.
It's tough to beat.
Allie's teammates did just that in the fourth inning Sunday at Huntington Park, leading to an 8-3 victory over Cincinnati Elder for the Eagles' third Division I state baseball championship and second crown in three years.
"That's the most dominating performance I've seen since I've been coaching high school baseball," said Elder's 21-year head coach Mark Thompson, referring to Allie. "He was awfully tough."
Allie was close to untouchable through five innings. Riding a 4-0 lead, the North Carolina recruit and likely first-round choice in Monday's MLB amateur draft gave up just one hit, walked two and collected 13 strikeouts against the 12-time state champion Panthers (28-5), ranked No. 2 in the final coaches state poll.
Senior catcher Alex Lavisky started the Eagles' fourth-inning surge with a double that caromed off the left center field wall. First baseman Cody Cooper followed with an RBI double to left center. Andrew Busser's single plated Cooper.
After designated hitter Stephen Kisan was hit by a Matt Pate pitch and shortstop Vince Bartolone laid down a sacrifice bunt, pinch runner Matt Dillow came home on center fielder/Kansas State recruit Ross Kivett's single and Kisan was right behind when Elder shortstop Selby Chidemo threw wildly to first base.
"We realized [Elder] came to play when we didn't jump on them right away," said Lavisky. "When that happened, we figured we had to pick it up in order to compete with them."
The fourth-ranked Eagles added four more runs in the sixth inning, the crunching blow being Tommy Mirabelli's two-out, two-run double down the right-field line.
"I just wanted to clear off the bases," said Mirabelli, who finished with two of the Eagles' 14 hits. "It was a fastball right on the hands."
Allie stumbled in the sixth inning, giving up three runs on four hits and two walks. Chidemo, who got two of the Panthers' five hits off Allie, doubled during the rally.
"A couple walks here and there, and I was getting down in the counts," said Allie, who threw 124 pitches in six innings. "You can't do that against the real good teams."
Cooper spelled Allie in the seventh inning, and gave up two hits and a walk before a double play ended the game.