Senecas run-rule St. Paul, claim 5th straight district title

CASTALIA — Winning one district title is tough.Senior Blake Coleman and a bevy of juniors including Connor Moyer know nothing but winning district titles.Top-seeded and No. 1-ranked Calvert made it five district titles in a row Saturday, defeating Norwalk St. Paul 10-0 in six innings in a Division VII district final at Lions Park in Castalia."It's pretty special," Calvert coach Matt Coleman said. "It's from the preparation we've put in during the offseason and in-season. It's the understanding that you're playing for something bigger than you. All glory to God to start with. I think they're playing for a bigger purpose. Obviously, we want results on the field."When you start playing for each other and not getting caught up in the results, results tend to happen. It's been fun to see that."The Senecas improved to 25-3 and face McDonald (16-8) at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Oberlin College in the regional semifinals."We're building and building each game," Moyer said. "Practices are getting better. Our all-around bonding is getting better. We're playing defense and hitting the ball better."It is the fourth time in five years that Calvert eliminated St. Paul from the postseason. The Senecas also won in 2022 in a district title game while winning in the district semifinals in 2021 and 2024."I think specifically talking about this group, their hitting this year, they can hit the ball," St. Paul coach Aaron Fries said of the 2025 Calvert team. "They really put pressure on your defense. We knew they were going to hit the ball today. We knew they were going to put it in play. We thought we could keep them off balance. I thought we did a good job of that."We had a few plays that we let slip through our fingers there and they took advantage of it like the No. 1 team in the state would do."Scoreless into the bottom of the third, Calvert woke up in a big way.Logan Ritzler reached on an error, getting to second on the play. After St. Paul pitcher Nate Griffin got a popup on the infield, Vinny Lyons singled into right field to score Ritzler.Griffin registered a strikeout for the second out of the inning, but Moyer took a 3-1 pitch to dead center for a two-run home run."I was sitting fastball and I got one," Moyer said. "It was a beautiful pitch and I was trying to hit a line drive. I knew if I did that it would keep going over center field."Calvert had just one hit before the third inning."We were hitting barrels, but hitting them at people in the first two innings," coach Coleman said. "We got out on our front foot a little bit the first two innings. If you stay in the middle of the ball and try to drive the middle of the ball, you can trust results will happen. That was huge."The Senecas added four runs in the fourth inning, mostly without a big hit. Jacob Kidwell was hit by a pitch before Cash Lee singled. Ritzler then reached on a bunt single to load the bases.Blake Coleman got on base via an infield error by St. Paul before Lyons sacrificed in a run with a bunt. A.J. Shoemaker reached safely on a fielder's choice before a sacrifice fly by Moyer made it 7-0.Lee added a two-run single in the fifth for Calvert before Cameron Moyer lined a walk-off run-scoring single to end the game via run-rule in the sixth inning."After the first two innings, we focused on putting the ball in play," coach Coleman said. "We have some good bunters on our team, so we can do that if need be. I thought we hit the ball on the ground and make them field it. That was crucial. I feel like everybody has stepped up at a different time."Freshman pitcher Tucker Coleman got out of an early jam to keep the Flyers off the board.Jacob Zuccaro singled and Izaac Snyder drew a walk to immediately give the Flyers a chance early. A fielder's choice wiped Zuccaro off the bases as Landon Fries got on.Coleman induced a popout before he hit Ben Blum to load the bases. The Senecas got out of the inning when Coleman tallied the first of his eight strikeouts."Getting out of that first inning was huge," coach Coleman said. "We have to attack and come at them to make them beat us. We like our defense and will trust them. Sometimes Tucker tries to be too fine and nibble a little bit. He needs to trust his stuff and come at them. He did a great job of bearing down."St. Paul struggled at the plate against Coleman. The Flyers got the first two on in the fifth when Isaac Kalizewski singled and Zuccaro walked. Calvert thwarted the inning with a 1-6-3 double play and groundout.St. Paul had another opportunity in the sixth inning against reliever Charlie Palm. Blum and River Couch each singled with one out, but a strikeout and flyout ended the frame.Calvert returns to a regional semifinal where its season ended last year in a 2-1 10-inning loss to Warren John F. Kennedy."It's hard to look ahead when you're trying to focus on execution and one game at a time," coach Coleman said. "Now that it's here, we can start to talk about it. We're excited to get back there to another nice facility. Actually, I think it's a little closer to us than the past couple years. We'll head to Oberlin and be ready to execute and play."