| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | ||
| Prestonwood Christian | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 10 | 0 | |
| Concordia Lutheran | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 2 |
Behind an explosive second inning, a dominant performance from Steele LeBouef and a four-RBI night from Trent Vilade, Prestonwood rolled past Concordia Lutheran 11-2 to capture the TAPPS Division I State Championship.
For three months, Prestonwood Christian Academy carried the weight of being the top-ranked team in TAPPS Division I baseball. On Tuesday, the Lions finished the job they had been building toward all season long.
The Lions pounded out 10 hits, drew nine walks and broke the game open with a nine-run second inning. Riggs Huggins started the rally with a single before Max Bachmann lined an RBI single to center for the game’s first run. After a hit batter and consecutive walks forced in another run, Felsman drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 3-0.
Then came the decisive blow.
Vilade crushed a grand slam home run over the right field fence, scoring Felsman, Junior Kniffen and Quin Majewski to extend the lead to 7-0. Prestonwood continued to pour it on as Huggins walked, Bachmann delivered another RBI single and a wild pitch allowed another run to score for a 9-0 advantage before the inning finally ended.
Vilade finished 1-for-3 with the home run, four RBIs and two walks, while Bachmann went 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Huggins scored three times and reached base twice, while Felsman added two hits, two runs and an RBI.
LeBouef settled in after the first inning and controlled the game from there. The Prestonwood ace struck out seven and allowed just two runs on eight hits over six innings. Concordia did not score until the sixth inning, when Gio Cosma drove in a run with a single and Jett Stroble later worked a bases-loaded walk.
Prestonwood answered immediately in the top of the sixth. After consecutive walks to Aiden Moffitt and Huggins, Cruz Banuelas dropped down a bunt single that led to a Concordia error and another Lions run. Lash Henderson later added a sacrifice fly to push the margin to 11-0.
Concordia’s best offensive night came from McCraw, who collected two hits and scored a run, while Hugh Wilhelm doubled in the seventh inning. But the Crusaders could never recover from Prestonwood’s offensive avalanche in the second.
The Lions closed out the championship in fitting fashion in the seventh. After a hit batter and a double put runners in scoring position, Prestonwood turned a sharp double play behind Felsman and Bachmann before recording the final out on a ground ball to Vilade at first.
When the final out settled into Vilade’s glove, the Lions had completed the mission they carried all season — validating their No. 1 ranking in TAPPS with a state championship title.
For his game changing hit, Vilade was named the THSB State Championship MVP. “It feels awesome to finally get a state championship under my belt my senior year,” the Prestonwood Christian senior said. “I’m just proud of these guys and the fight we put in from day one back in August. This is really special.”
On his grand slam, “He left a curveball hanging, and I just tried to put my best swing on it and do some damage. When I hit it, I honestly didn’t know if it was getting out because this ballpark plays huge, but it was awesome to come through for the team.”
Vilade also praised the Lions’ deep offensive lineup “We don’t have a hole in the lineup,” he said. “One through nine, everybody competes and does whatever the team needs to get the job done.”
“This championship really shows the resilience of our program,” Coach James Vilade added. “These seniors have come close before, and to finally finish it off means everything. It’s also special because this is the 10th anniversary of Prestonwood’s first state championship in 2016, and we never want to forget the foundation that was built by Coach Todd Cash and that staff.”
On son Trent’s grand slam, “I’ll be able to replay that grand slam in my head forever,” the coach said. “As a father, it was an incredible moment to watch my son come through like that, but I was just as excited for our team and for all the kids who have worked so hard to get here.”