Lovejoy Leopards Win First Ever Baseball State Title with 7-2 Victory

A storm pushed the start time to 9 a.m. Saturday, but Lovejoy's Leopards didn't need a traditional Friday night atmosphere to make history. The program captured its first ever state baseball championship with a 7-2 victory, capping a performance that was dominant from the opening inning.

Senior Lucas Smith set the tone immediately, driving a first-inning pitch to the wall in left-center to score Logan Corley and Brady Sommers. The Leopards were up 2-0 before recording an out, and Carson Branch followed with a single to center that plated a pinch runner and pushed the lead to 3-0 after one.

Lovejoy extended the advantage in the fourth inning with small ball. A Carson Branch bunt up the line scored both Corley and Sommers, a two-run play that pushed the lead to 5-1 and effectively put the game away. The Leopards added another run in the fifth when Logan Corley went opposite field with a single to score Tanner Brown, making it 6-1.

The defense contributed as well. In the fifth, third baseman Benjamin Reinhard made a diving stop and converted the force at second to prevent a run from scoring — a play that kept the momentum firmly in Lovejoy's corner.

Tyler Scarborough handled the pitching duties from start to finish, throwing a complete game and recording the final out on a pop-up back to himself. The 7-2 final gives Lovejoy its first state title in program history.