Chaminade Julienne wins first state title since 1970

Eagles rally with three runs in the seventh inning against Wapakoneta

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

Pitcher Nick Wissman threw his glove high in the air and then jumped into the arms of catcher Ben Thomas. Then the rest of the Chaminade Julienne baseball team jumped on top of both players in a giant dogpile near the pitcher’s mound at Huntington Stadium.

The Eagles celebrated their first state championship since 1970 in style after a thrilling 3-1 victory against Wapakoneta in the Division II final Saturday night.

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Chaminade Julienne scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning. It was down to its last out when the tying run scored on a throwing error on what could have been a game-ending double play. Then Sebastian Gongora delivered a two-run single.

Wapakoneta took the lead in the bottom of the sixth, scoring on a passed ball.

Wissman pitched a complete game four-hitter, striking out nine and walking two. He gave a lead-off triple in the seventh but stranded the runner at third. The final batter hit a long fly ball out to right.

Chaminade Julienne was making it second straight appearance in the title game. It lost 4-0 to Tallmadge last season but beat Tallmadge 2-1 in the state semifinals Friday.

Chaminade is one of 52 schools in Ohio to own multiple state baseball championships. Twenty have won more than two titles, including Fort Loramie, which won its third championship Saturday. Chaminade is the first Montgomery County school to win two championships.

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