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2025 OHSAA Tournament: Division II State Final - #1 Amherst Steele vs #2 Anthony Wayne

AKRON - A controversial beginning ended in a dramatic finish at the Division II state semifinals at Thurman Munson Stadium on Friday with Amherst Steele outlasting New Albany 3-2 in 10 innings.

Cole Marquez reached on a two-out error and Cole Charles followed with a double to plate the winning run in the top of the 10th for the Comets. Cael Charles threw four innings of shutout relief to pick up the win for the top-ranked team playing in their first state tourney in school history.

The Comets took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first when Landon Wolf hit an inside-the-park two-run homer with two outs on a play that appeared to many to be a catch in right field that would have been the third out of the frame.

The runs were the only ones allowed by New Albany starter Cam Simmons, who gave up two hits and four walks while fanning eight in eight innings.

With Simmons shutting down the Eagles, the 11th-ranked Eagles chipped away scoring one run in the sixth and another in the seventh. Grady Bush scored on an error in the sixth and Van Routhier came home on a bunt by Jacob Richardson in the last of the seventh, However, the potential game-winning run was left stranded at third.

Amherst Steele advances to face the winner of Anthony Wayne and Walsh Jesuit on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Canal Park in the D-II state finals.

HOT TAKES

PLAYERS OF THE GAME: Cole and Cael Charles came up big for Amherst Steele and will share the honor. Cole drove in the game-winning run in the 10th and Cael threw four innings of no-hit shutout relief, striking out three after coming in for  starting pitcher Harrison Schneider who surrendered three hits in six frames.

WHAT’S NEXT?: New Albany has three underclassmen starting in three-hole hitter Caden Kistner the shortstop, Jate Hoovler the catcher and center fielder Van Routhier. Third-year mentor Michael Sandman looks to add on to the 104 wins he has accumulated as head coach of the Eagles.

LINESCORE

Amherst Steele 200  000  000  1  -  3  3  1
New Albany      000  001  100  0  -  2  3  3

Records: Amherst Steele 29-2, New Albany 19-11.

Winning Pitcher: Cael Charles (4 innings, 0 runs, 0 hits, 3 strikeouts, 1 walk). Other: Harrison Schneider (6 innings, 2 runs, 1 earned run, 3 hits 6 strikeouts, 3 walks).

Losing Pitcher: Graham Romer (2 innings, 1 run, 0 earned runs, 1 hit, 2 strikeouts, 0 walks).

Leading Hitters: (Amherst Steele) - Cole Marquez run; Cole Charles double, RBI; Caleb Melendez run; Landon Wolf home run, 2 RBIs, run; Tyler Denn single. (New Albany) - Grady Bush single, run; Jacob Richardson RBI; Jate Hoovler double; Brayden Pettinger single; Van Routhier run. 

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