1A State Championship – Ira v Fayetteville

It was quite a different morning from yesterday.  The sun was out.  There was a thick dew on the outfield grass.  There was virtually no wind.  Just two teams remained.  Ira made their first trip to the State Finals.  Fayetteville has been to the State Tournament 10 times and has three rings in their trophy case.

The battery for Fayettevile was Keagan Supak and Kellen Lopez.  Jaren Pena got the hitting started for Ira.  With one out, he was picked off at first by Supak.  Kaden Castillo would advance to third on a error in left field and quickly score on a wild pitch to get the scoring started for the Bulldogs.  Raidon Hernandez single but was thrown out at second on a fielder’s choice.

Aedyn Claxton took the mound for the Bulldogs with Kaden Castillo receiving pitches.  Claxton struck out the first two Lions and then walked the next two.  He would end the inning with another strikeout.  Not to be outdone, Keagan Supak would strike out the next three Bulldog batters in the top of the second.  Jake Kubala led off the bottom of the second for Fayetteville and advanced to second on a throwing error.  Claxton struck out the next batter.  Kubala was moved to third when Kole Schmitt grounded out to shortstop.  Mason Fenhaus lined out to first to end any Lion threat.

With one out in the top of the third, Jaren Pena singled to right but quickly doubled off by right fielder Kole Schmitt after a fly out to right.  Supak was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the third to lead off and quickly swipes second.  Claxton gets to 6-3 grounds out and strikes out Konvicka to leave Supak stranded at third.

The pitchers continued to duel, and the infields continued to make plays.  The Bulldogs went down quickly in the top of the fourth inning.  A lineout, a ground out (6-3) and a strikeout put the Lions back up to bat.  The bottom of the fourth was not a clean one for Claxton but he was able to pitch around two runners making it to second.  Neither made it to third.  Outs were recorded from a strikeout, and 6-5 / 5-3 ground outs.

Kupak struck out the leadoff batter in the top of the 5^th.  Kadin Foree singled.  A delayed double steal would score Foree due to a error on the throw to home.  Collier ended up at third.  With 2 outs, he scored on a passed ball.  Fayetteville definitely wasn’t done.  They got their first two runners on due to a walk and a hit by pitch.  A balk moved them to third.  Easton Jaeger plated Fenhaus.  Jack Schley walked to load the bases.  A fly ball to right records the first out and then Kaden Foree guns down the runner at the plate for out number two.  Ira would commit an error at short to allow Jaeger to scores.  Claxton records his 6^th strikeout to end the frame

Jack Schley came in to pitch for Fayetteville.  Supak moved behind the plate.  Kaden Castillo wasted no time as he hit the first pitch to right center.  With one out, Christian Coy would single.  Demtri Juarez was hit by a pitch to load the bases.  All threats were ended on a swinging bunt.  Supak touched home and threw to first for the double play.  With one out, Fayetteville had runners on first and second from a Dooley single and a Fenhaus walked.  Raidon Hernandez took the mound for Ira.  A missed force at third loads the bases.  Easton Jaeger ties the game on a sac bunt.  Schley flied out to left to leave the game tied at 3 at the end of the sixth.

Ira would get a runner on but he was caught in a pickle.  Ira went down relatively quietly.  With one out, Logan Fritsch walked.  Two flyouts later, we had free baseball at Dell Diamond.  Two leadoff singles and an out later, Demitri Juarez would single.  Kaden Castillo scored to give the Bulldogs the lead.  With two outs, CJ Collier added two insurance runs.  He would later score on a error at second.  Keevan Santos ends up at first on that play.  At the end of the top of the 8^th, Ira had taken a 7-3 lead.

Fayetteville loaded the bases in the bottom of the 8^th after a walk, a hit by pitch and a single.  Fayetteville certainly made the game exciting by scoring 3 runs on a hit by pitch, an error and a single.  That wouldn’t be enough.  Ira recorded the final out at first to win 7-6.

WP – Hernandez
LP –  Schley

Player of the Game:  Chance Konvicka