By STEVE KRAH
By shutting out No. 1 Center Grove 2-0, unranked Penn won its sixth Indiana High School Athletic Association Class 4A state baseball championship.
The Kingsmen (27-8) concluded the 2023 season by besting the Trojans (29-4) Saturday, June 17 at Victory Field in Indianapolis for a second straight state title.
“It’s the culture of Penn,” said Kingsmen coach Greg Dikos, an Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer with a career mark of 820-289-5. “Every program strives for this and works for this.
“They believe they can do it.”
The Kingsmen tallied both runs with two outs in the top of the third inning.
Senior Cooper Hums smacked a triple to right field and senior Cam Dombrowski followed with a double to left top plate Hums.
Senior Evan Tuesley singled up the middle to drive in Dombrowski.
The Kingsmen collected five hits — one each by Hums, Dombrowski, Tuesley, senior Adam Lehmann and junior Hunter Morrett.
Center Grove left nine runners on base (four in scoring position) and Penn stranded four.
Winning pitcher Lehmann (11-2) went the first six innings and struck out 10 (half of them looking), walked four and allowed three hits (singles to junior Noah Coy, senior Grant Sawa and senior Bradley Gilliam). He finished with 105 pitches (61 strikeouts).
“I thought our guys battled early in the count and then just didn’t put the bat on the ball,” said Trojans coach Keith Hatfield. “(Lehmann) didn’t do anything we weren’t expecting, but he’s a good pitcher.”
Penn made many outstanding plays behind Western Michigan University commit Lehmann, including center fielder Hums’ running catch to take away extra bases from Sawa in the fourth inning and a line drive speared by shortstop Dombrowski off the bat of junior A.J. Beggs to end the sixth.
“We’ve got the best defense in the state and one of the best in the nation,” said Lehmann. “It’s just incredible pitching with the defense like that.”
Lehmann also talked about how close the Kingsmen as players, coaches etc.
“I’m serious when I say this is a family,” said Lehmann.
Penn sophomore right-hander Dawson French hurled the seventh inning and notched his third save. He fanned two and walked one in his hitless frame. His 23-pitch inning featured 10 strikes.
Senior right-hander Jacob Murphy (9-2) took the loss. The right-hander pitched the first four innings and gave up both runs and all of Penn’s hits.
Senior right-hander Caden Cornett tossed three innings of no-hit ball. He whiffed four and walked two. Murphy threw 65 pitches (43 strikeouts) and Cornett 45 (24 strikes).
“That was the best season in school history,” said Hatfield. “This is the only group of Center Grove baseball players to ever play for a state title.
“It’s not fun losing this game but they need to keep their heads up.”
CG was a state finalist in 1996.
Penn senior Zach Pelletier was selected as the 4A Mental Attitude Award winner.
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Good article.
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