By Dylan Hefflinger

 

COLUMBUS- In the final game of the state tournament, defending Division IV state champion Minster and No. 13 Cuyahoga Heights went out with a bang as the No. 6 Wildcats won 5-4 in walk-off fashion after an incredible 7th inning comeback by the Redskins.

 

Down 4-0 entering the top of the 7th, Cuyahoga Heights was not about to go down without a fight. Senior Andrew Tesler started the inning off with a sharp single up the middle. A walk to senior Austin Lane followed by an error by Minster's third basemen sophomore Brandon Hoying, who came into the game after junior Austin Knapke went to the mound in relief. Junior Jason Kleppel then ripped a two-run single to left scoring Tesler and Lane. After a fielder's choice, an RBI single by senior Jim Korenowsky cut the deficit to 4-3, bringing up lead-off hitter Rob Kozak. The senior tied the game on a ground out to second before a fly out ended the top half of the 7th.

 

After thinking the game was in hand up 4-0 entering the 7th and giving up four runs to erase its lead, Minster didn't give in. Junior lead-off hitter Jay Eilerman laced a single to left and was sacrificed over by Knapke. With a runner on second and one out, talented junior Adam Niemeyer, who was unable to pitch at state due to an injury, popped out to short. But Cuyahoga Heights was not out of the jam.

 

Devon Poeppelman then did what every kid who ever dreamed of playing baseball wants to do -- win a state championship with a walk-off hit. The Minster junior, who had three hits and drove in four runs in the state semifinals against No. 2 Defiance Tinora, laced a single to left scoring Eilerman and sending Minster home with back-to-back state championships.

Minster gained its 4-0 advantage with one in the 1st and three in the 5th. With two outs in the 1st, Niemeyer walked and moved to second on a single by Poeppelman. Senior Doug Huber drove Niemeyer home on an RBI single to put the Wildcats on top 1-0.

 

A lead-off walk to nine-hole hitter senior Drew Elson opened the 5th and Elson moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Eilerman. Knapke then drove Elson home with an RBI double. Niemeyer followed with a single to put runners on the corners, ending the day for Redskins' starting pitcher senior Alex Zander. A wild pitch by relief pitcher senior Zach Browning scored Knapke, and moved Niemeyer over to third on the throw. After a strikeout, Huber brought Niemeyer home to put the Wildcats on top 4-0.

 

Huber, who threw five innings to pick up the victory in the state semis, started and went five frames in the final, allowing no runs on just one hit and two walks, while striking out three.

 

Minster finished with a 26-6 record for head coach Mike Wiss, who has now won two state championships for Wildcat nation.

 

Cuyahoga Heights (25-5), who advanced to state for the second time in school history, finished as runners-up for the second time, the other coming in 1976.