Given the core of seniors on this Ketcham baseball roster, winning a section title only seemed inevitable. To go out and win, however, took far more just talent.
The Storm continued to show that championship mettle on Saturday. Against arch-rival John Jay-East Fishkill in the Section 1 Class AAA title game, they fell behind early but never wavered, rolling to a 5-2 victory at Purchase College to complete the three-peat at sectional champs.
Tournament Bracket: Ketcham wins again, takes AAA
Game Replay: Watch on LocalLive
Season Results: Ketcham | John Jay-EF
Video Highlights: Ketcham captures Section 1 Class AAA crown (via LocalLive.tv)
Top-seeded Ketcham (20-3) got out to a 1-0 lead on the first when Owen Paino was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on a Connor Durkin groundout. Jay, the No. 3 seed in AAA, took a 2-1 lead in the third off Ketcham starter Riley Weatherwax on an Austin Seipp two-run triple.
Weatherwax, the winning pitcher in last year’s sectional championship game, settled in from there. The game’s MVP got the lead back in the bottom of fourth when Ketcham rallied for three runs on RBI singles by Jason Due and S Kelly, followed by a Weatherwax sacrifice-fly.
John Jay stranded a pair in the fifth and then went in order in the sixth and seventh. Paino came in for the final three outs to earn the save the send the defending state champs back into the NYSPHSAA tournament.
Next up for Ketcham is Section 4 champion Corning-Painted Post in the NYSPHSAA AAA Regional Semifinals. They play Thursday at Horseheads High School in the Binghamton region.
Ketcham reached the final by beating North Rockland in the first round and Mamaroneck in the semis, a win that features a tape-measure home run by Paino. The Ole Miss commit leaves Section 1 among the most accomplished players in history and is a legitimate candidate to be a Top 2-3 round selection in the upcoming MLB Draft.
Follow the entire NYSPHSAA Baseball Tournament schedule on GameDayOne.com here.
More coverage from Ketcham baseball on GameDay One:
Ketcham powers past Mamaroneck, sets up final with Jay
GameDay One The Show: Ketcham a heavy favorite in Class AAA again
