D’Hanis wins the 1A State Championship

With a light cloud cover, the dew would slowlyburn off.  The flags barely moved left to right under a minimal breeze.  The morning promised to get hot quick, but no one cared.  Today, was State Championship Day.  D’Hanis was the visitors and would come to the plate first.  With one out D’Hanis’s Josh Rivera would walk and advance to second on a passed ball.  With two outs, Jacob Hutto would sneak one past the third baseman and Rivera would score.  At the end of the top of the first, it was quickly 1-0 D’Hanis.  New Home’s Bode Stewart would get to second after a walk and a stolen base but that was all the offense New Home could find in the first.

In the top of the second, Jaeden VanDamme would lead off with a single and advance to second on a passed ball.  He would get to third on a groundout to third but it ended there.  New Home could not gain any offensive traction managing just a walk.  D’Hanis would go down in order in the third when the top of the lineup went 6u, strikeout, 8u.  New Home threatened in their half of the 3^rd getting runners on first and second, but no further.

The scoring would start up again in the top of the 4^th with two outs as D’Hanis would string together 3 singles and score on a throw to second on a steal to go up 3-0 at the midpoint.  Jaeden VanDamme, Kyler Looper and Ethan Reyes all singled for D’Hanis.  VanDamme and Looper drove in two of the three runs.  New Home would get the first 3 batters on in the bottom of the fourth from two walks and an error on the pitcher but an unassisted double play to the shortstop and a groundout to pitcher Kyle Looper would end inning with no one crossing the plate for New Home.

In the top of the 5^th, Alex Magers would get on due to a hit by pitch, but Alex Vitolas ended on threat with a spectacular sliding catch in right field for the third out.  The top of New Home’s lineup would go down in order the bottom of the 5^th on a groundout to second, a strikeout and a popout to the shortstop.  Two singles would continue with hot bats for D’Hanis.  Thomas Beard and Jaeden VanDamme both reached on singles.  Looper would record out number one on an infield fly.  But a walk would load the bases.  Kaleb Leclair hugs Coach Webb and his day is done.  Zach Blizel will take the mound.  Blizel would strike out the first batter for out number 2 but walk in a run before getting Josh rivera to line out to a diving Ryan Meeks.  At the mid point it was 4-0 D’Hanis.  New Home would single and walk before D’Hanis made a pitching change and put Alex Magers on the mound.  He would strike out the first batter before allowing a single to Gabe Cantu.  Magers would snag a comebacker and double up Cantu at first to end inning.

We would head to the 7^th, D’Hanis couldn’t add to the lead, but it wouldn’t matter.  New Home went down quietly in the 7^th – strikeout, groundout, strikeout.  D’Hanis would win it’s second State Championship.

WP – Kyle Looper

LP –  Kaleb LeClair

Player of the Game:  Kyle Looper