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2026 OHSAA Tournament: Division IV State Semifinal - #5 Perkins vs #2 Cardinal Mooney

AKRON - In a wild affair to open the third day of the state tournament, Perkins earned a return trip to the Division IV championship game with a 12-7 victory over Cardinal Mooney on Saturday.

After the Cardinals scored three in the top of the first, Perkins tallied four in the bottom of the inning to go in front. However, Mooney regained the lead with three in the second and added one in the third.

But a six-run fourth inning put the Pirates on top to stay, thanks to four two-hit shutout innings of relief by Talon Walton.

All 11 players that participated either had a hit or scored a run for Perkins, which pounded out 13 hits, with eight via the infield variety, including three on bunts.

Bryce Davie had a single and triple, scored three runs and drove in two for the fifth-ranked team in the state. Walton scored twice and had two RBIs while Carter Koch brought in a pair and Sam Schweinfurth scored two runs.

Perkins had seven base hits and two walks in the decisive fourth inning, highighted by a Braxden Martin run-scoring double.

Andrew Bushey hit two singles and a triple while scoring three runs for second-ranked Mooney, which were hurt by six runs. The Cardinals also left 11 on base.

HOT TAKES

PLAYER OF THE GAME: In a game with 19 runs and 25 hits, the selection is a pitcher? Walton is the honoree after shutting down a Mooney team that averaged nine runs a game in the regular season. The senior right-hander faced 15 batters, giving up two hits and one walk while fanning four in four innings on the hill, throwing 36 of 55 pitches for strikes.

WHAT'S NEXT?: The top two pitchers - Ben Oddis and Ford Stacy - are part of a group of seven junior starters for head coach Eddie Reese, who had Mooney at state for the first time in school history. A second-straight trip to Akron is a real possibility. 

LINESCORE

Cardinal Mooney    331  000 0  -     7  12  6
Perkins                     400  620  x  -  12  13  3

Records: Perkins 24-5-1, Cardinal Mooney 24-4.

Winning Pitcher: Talon Walton (4 innings, 0 runs, 2 hits, 4 strikeouts, 1 walk). Other: Kash Koch.

Losing Pitcher: Ben Oddis (3 innings, 9 runs, 6 earned runs, 6 hits, 0 strikeouts, 3 walks). Others: Jacob Gugliotta, Andrew Bushey.

Leading Hitters: (Cardinal Mooney) - Kaden Reese single, run; Andrew Bushey 2 singles, triple, 3 runs; Johnny Brenner single, run, RBI; Ben Oddis 2 singles, 2 runs, RBI; Vince Gentile 2 singles, RBI; Ryan Reese single; Taco Verroco single, 2 RBIs; Luke Kollar single. (Perkins) - Bryce Davie single, triple, 3 runs, 2 RBIs; Talon Walton single, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Carter Koch 2 singles, run, 2 RBIs; Kash Koch Single, RBI; Sam Schweinfurth 2 singles, 2 runs, RBI; Braxden Martin single, double, RBI; Ty Obergefell run; Quinten Binnette run; Dante Shipp single, run; Grant Parker single, run; Mason Souter single.

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