St. Anthony is Class 1A State Baseball Champions

The St. Anthony Bulldogs are the new Class 1A State Baseball Champions.

The Bulldogs defeated the Tuscola Warriors Saturday, 6-1, in a championship game heard on 979XFM and www.979xfm.com.  A five-run third inning was the key for St. Anthony, who end the spring season with a 31-8-1 record.

The Bulldogs' third started inauspiciously enough as Eli Dasenbrock struck out.  Alex Hoelscher then singled to left and Jared Having singled to left.  Connor Greene, the pinch-runner for Hoelscher, went to third and a throw there allowed Having to move on to second, giving the Bulldogs two runners in scoring position with one out.  Michael Kabbes then lined out to second for the second out.  Tuscola Manager Duff Hoel then walked Ben Hecht intentionally to instead face cleanup hitter Reed Willenborg, and the senior made them pay as he hit a hard ground ball up the middle.  Tuscola shortstop Dan Yoakum got a glove on the ball but it leaked away into the outfield, allowing two runs to score.  That brought up sophomore left fielder Austin Bushur, who belted a three-run home run over the left field fence to make it 5-0 Bulldogs.  Bushur had also clouted a three-run shot in the St. Anthony Super-Sectional win in Marion on Monday night.

Tuscola scored its only run of the game in the fifth on three singles and a fielder's choice., but the Bulldogs got the run right back in the bottom of the frame when Kabbes tripled to right center and Hecht singled him home.

The Bulldogs collected eight hits to six for Tuscola, and the Warriors committed the game's only error.

Here's the breakdown for the Bulldogs: Jared Having a single and a run scored; Michael Kabbes a triple and a walk and a run scored; Ben Hecht a single and a walk, a run scored and a run driven in; Reed Willenborg a single, a run scored and two runs driven in; Austin Bushur a three-run homer, a run scored, and three driven in; Jacob Lorenz two singles; Alex Hoelscher a single; Connor Greene a run scored.

On the mound, Willenborg took care of business, allowing the one run on six hits while walking two and fanning three.  It was his ninth win of the spring.

The Bulldogs not only won a state title, but the squad set a team record for most wins in a spring season with 31.

Tuscola finished its season with a 24-14 record.  St. Anthony and Willenborg had shut out the Warriors earlier this season.

Alton Marquette won the Class 1A third place game over Lena-Winslow 6-2.

A reminder of a Welcome Home ceremony for the State Champion Bulldogs on Sunday at 1pm at St. Anthony High School in the Multi-Purpose Room.  We plan to record the ceremony and post it online at www.979xfm.com and www.kjcountry.com so even those attending in person will have the opportunity to enjoy it again and again.