Dylan Hefflinger
PBR Senior Writer and Northwest scout

COLUMBUS – Cincinnati Moeller captured back-to-back state titles and its seventh state championship inschool history behind a two-hitter from junior Zach Logue (pictured right) on Sunday with a 7-1 win over Cleveland St. Ignatius in the Division I title game.

The back-to-back state titles is the first time in 17 years for a Division I program.

Moeller got on top early, scoring three in the second inning. The Crusaders' bottom of the lineup got it all started.

After St. Ignatius started Nick Margevicius got two quick outs, Senior seven-hole hitter Nice Meece roped a double to deep left and scored on an error by the St. Ignatius' shortstop on a ground ball hit by Patrick McAlpine (Ashland recruit). 

Senior nine-hole hitter Brian Butz drove McAlpine in on an RBI single up the middle. University of Kentucky recruit Riley Mahan blooped a single to put two on for Justin Wampler and the University of Dayton recruit drove McAlpine home on a single to put the Crusaders up 3-0.

St. Ignatius got its only run of the game in the third as sophomore catcher Alex Panstares drew a lead-off walk and scored on a sacrifice fly by senior Tyler Finkler to cut Moeller's lead to 3-1.

But that was the only run Wildcats got off of Logue, a University of Kentucky recruit. Logue held the Wildcats to two hits, while striking our four and walking three. He did not allow a runner to reach second base after the third inning and snuffed a possible rally by picking one runner off base.

"He's got great stuff – he was 84 to 86 (miles per hour) today with his fastball – and just being left-handed, he's got that natural left-handed movement," Held said. "And he's a bulldog. Off the field he's such a nice kid, (but) I worry about him a little bit on the mound. He doesn't want to let down his teammates; he doesn't want to let down his coaches or his school."

St. Ignatius coach Brad Ganor was impressed.

"He didn't do anything we didn't think he could do," Ganor said of Logue, who improved to 8-1. "We had a good scouting report. He kept us off-balance and he beat a good-hitting team. They made every play and capitalized on the plays we weren't able to make."

Moeller matched the Wildcats' run with one in the third. Logue ripped a single and moved to second when Foley blooped a single to right. Both runners moved up on a double steal, and after a strikeout, McAlpine roped a single to score Logue but Foley (pictured) was thrown out at the dish to bring an end to the inning with the Crusaders up 4-1.
 

The second-ranked Crusaders added two more runs in the fourth and one in the fifth.

In the fourth, Moeller greeted St. Ignatius' relief pitcher Nick Fabian with two runs. Butz drew a lead-off walk and moved up on a single by Mahan (pictured, seventh hit of the state tournament). Butz scored on a bases-loaded walk to Logue and Mahan scored on a wild pitch to put the Crusaders up 6-1.

Moeller got its last run in the fifth on an RBI hit-by-pitch by Wampler after Foley singled and McAlpine and Butz walked.

Moeller had an incredible tournament run, as the Crusaders outscored their seven tournament opponents by a combined 82-8.

St. Ignatius made the best out of a bumpy start to the season and the program should be proud.

"I couldn't be happier for this team," Ganor said. "Going from 0-2 to 5-5 to 27-7 and being second in the state is pretty good."
 

Linescore

Cleveland St. Ignatius   001 000 0 - 1 2 1

Cincinnati Moeller        031 210 x - 7 12 2

Records: Moeller 32-2, St. Ignatius 27-7.

Winning pitcher: Zach Logue (7 innings, 1 run, 2 hits, 4 strikeouts, 3 walks).

Losing pitcher: Nick Margevicius (3 innings, 4 runs, 8 hits, 2 strikeouts, 0 walks). Others: Nick Fabian, Shane Skuhrovec.

Leading hitters: (St. Ignatius, 2 hits). (Moeller, 12 hits) - Riley Mahan 2 singles; Spencer Iacovone double; Max Foley 2 singles; Nick Meece single, double.