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2024 OHSAA Tournament: Division I State Semifinal - No. 6 Mason vs No. 21 Perrysburg

AKRON - Jake Hanley pitched and hit Mason to the Division I state title game on Friday night at Canal Park. The 75th-rated senior in the nation threw a one-hitter and drove in the lone run of the game in a 1-0 victory over Perrysburg.

Scoreless through six, the Indiana commit - who was walked intentionally his previous two plate appearances - ripped a 1-2 pitch over the right fielder's head with two outs in the top of the seventh and Alex Koelling running to break up a pitching duel with Perrysburg ace Matt Hubbard. Koelling reached base on a two-out walk.

Hanley then retired the 21st-rated Yellow Jackets in order in the bottom of the seventh to send the Comets to Sunday's 1 p.m. state championship against Twinsburg.

Perrysburg junior Braxton Mefford had the only hit of the contest against Hanley, a liner to center field to lead off the bottom of the fifth. A sacrifice bunt advanced Mefford to second base but Hanley got out of the jam, one of three innings that the Jackets had a runner in scoring position.

The biggest scoring threat prior to the seventh came in the third when Mason loaded the bases with two outs, featuring a single by Casey Doner, an intentional walk to Hanley and a Drew Stevens HBP. But Hubbard escaped damage with a strikeout.

Brayden Heitmeyer walked three times and stole three bases, the 24th player in state tournament history to accomplish that feat, for Perrysburg, which closes the season at 25-8.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Hanley is a no-brainer after his special performance. The second-rated 2024 in Ohio struck out 11 while walking four, throwing 64 of 102 pitches for a strike. Only five Perrysburg batters reached base against the Indiana commit.

SHINES IN DEFEAT: Hubbard nearly matched Hanley pitch for pitch in keeping Perrysburg in the game against the sixth-rated team in the state. The Toledo commit gave up just five hits while walking three and striking out 10. The 129th-ranked senior in the state, who threw 67 of 99 pitches for a strike, did not give up a run until the seventh despite Mason putting runners in scoring position in five of the first six innings.

HELPS THE CAUSE: Mason shortstop Anthony Sulek certainly helped the cause for Hanley and Mason, with a pair of solid plays. In the second, the senior went deep in the hole with a runner on third and two outs to throw out Abram Hire. In the fourth, Sulek made another outstanding play to retire left-handed hitting Brady Zilles to lead off the frame, with a quick release, aided by a good stretch by first baseman Liam Sander.

WHAT’S NEXT?: As the third team from the Northern Lakes League to make it to state in Division I over the past three years, the potential is always there for another tournament run by Perrysburg and head coach Dave Hall, who is closing in on 750 career coaching wins. Connor Kessinger at shortstop, Mefferd in center and Landon Winters, who had a spectacular diving grab in left to take a hit away from Drew Stevens in the Mason fifth, will be the three players to build around with sophomore left-hander Kyle Palmer, the winning pitcher in the regional finals, expected to lead the way on the mound for the Yellow Jackets.

LINESCORE

Mason            000   000  1  -  1  5  0
Perrysburg     000  000  0  -  0  1  2

Records: Mason 27-6, Perrysburg 25-8.

Winning Pitcher: Jake Hanley (7 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 11 strikeouts, 4 walks).

Losing Pitcher: Matt Hubbard (7 innings, 1 run,5 hits, 10 strikeouts, 3 walks).

Leading Hitters: (Mason) - Alex Koelling single, walk, run; Jake Hanley double, RBI; Anthony Sulek single; Hutch Crociata single; Casey Doner single. (Perrysburg) - Braxton Mefford single.

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