Westminster Beats Lutheran South For The Third Time, Makes It Back-to-Back State Baseball Titles

In Friday's nerve-racking state semifinal game against Marshall, the baseball team needed a seven-run outburst in the bottom of the sixth inning to pull out a victory that kept the Wildcats' back-to-back state title hopes alive.

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On Saturday though, in the MSHSAA Class 3 state championship game at historic Meador Park against Lutheran South, Westminster didn't wait nearly as long to blowup the scoreboard.

The Wildcats jumped on opposing starter Ryan Strohm for seven runs in the top of the first inning, and cruised their way to a 10-4 victory over the Lancers, that makes Westminster the first repeat state baseball champion in Missouri since Webb City won consecutive titles in 2005 and 2006.

Saturday's matchup marked the third time Westminster had faced Strohm this season.

And while Lutheran South hoped that a third time start against Westminster would mean the senior southpaw Strohm was due for a victory, the Wildcats used their knowledge of his pitching arsenal to jump right on him as soon as the game started.

Senior centerfielder Tate Matheny, the likely St. Louis area Player of the Year this season, lined a basehit to start the game, then stole second before most fans at Meador Park could even settle into their chairs.

Teammate Shane Benes then drove him home with a basehit, and Westminster was already on the board.

The Wildcats followed with six more hits in the inning, including an RBI single by Brett Bond, a two-run single by Connor Larson, and another RBI single by Jacob Buffa.

But the big blow of the inning was a two-run triple off the bat of Matheny, that drove home Buffa and Bryce Bell, giving Westminster that 7-0 lead, and Matheny a St. Louis area-best 51 RBIs on the season.

That total makes Matheny the area Triple Crown winner, with the best batting average (.610), most home runs (11), and RBIs (51), in the entire St. Louis area this season.

Buoyed by his team's offensive start, junior pitcher Ben Lovell (10-0) threw with virtually no pressure in his third outing against Lutheran South, and cruised through five innings, while allowing four runs on eight hits.

After adding two runs in the fourth and a single run in the sixth, Westminster led 10-1 going into the bottom half of the sixth.

Lutheran South did muster a small rally in that inning, with three runs on five hits, capped by three straight doubles by Brandon Downey, Trey Martin, and Dirk Otterstein.

Junior Ben Mitchell came in to pitch the final two innings for Westminster, which he closed out by striking out the side to put an exclamation point on the Wildcats second state championship victory.

Lutheran South, which was making its first appearance in the state championship game ever, finished its season with a 25-6 record.

Westminster, which began the season with a 3-3 record, won its final 26 games to finish the year 29-3.