“I’m just so proud of our kids,” Firebirds coach Brad Gschwind said. “They fought back. They’ve done it all year. They really have. Five feet away from the wall from maybe taking the lead, maybe it’s a tie game. You never know. It’s a what-if. I’m just proud of our kids for just battling back. I’m proud of them as a whole.”
Lakota West (24-8) made its fourth state appearance in program history. The Firebirds reached the state tournament in 2007, 2008 and 2017 — winning the title in 2007 when Gschwind played shortstop.
Olentangy (23-7), which made state in 2006, scored a run in the bottom of the third inning when Cooper Tracy’s sacrifice fly brought home Ty Walburn.
Olentangy’s Dominic Pirrone hit a two-RBI double down the left-field line to give the Braves a 3-0 lead in the fifth.
Lakota West’s Landon Holt laced a rope that got away from Pirrone in right field and went to the fence. Holt dove into third safely. Adrian Davis hit a sac fly to right to bring Holt home and pull the Lakota West deficit to 3-1.
Lakota West’s Braydon Johnson crushed one deep to left field with runners on first and second in the top of the seventh, but the wind kept the ball in the park for Cameron Birch to make the final out of the game.
“I thought it had a shot,” Gschwind said of Johnson’s long flyball. “That’s our best hitter. You can’t ask for much more. That’s our best hitter. He’s done it all year for us. If I had to do it again, I’d love for him to have that same situation play out for him to be right at home plate again, and I like our chances. He’s a great player. He’s a great kid. Five feet was just a little bit too short.”
Firebirds starting pitcher Tucker Wilburn gave up three runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
“I just didn’t want to let my emotions get too high,” said Wilburn, who will play at Wallace Community College in Dothan, Alabama. “It was loud. They were loud. I just thought I had to be within myself and do what I always do.
“I had to imagine myself in the backyard when I was little just throwing a baseball, because honestly, it’s a kids’ game,” Wilburn added. “You can’t get too big to play baseball.
“This season was great. Tough loss. But this group is so special. We’ve all played with each other for a long time. The team chemistry was up. What we were able to do was amazing, and we turned a lot of heads with who we are as a team and as a program.”
Kameron Gaalaas, Isaiah Meade-Moss, Hudson Lehman and Parker Isaacs each had base hits for the Firebirds.
Olentangy plays the winner of Greater Western Ohio Conference champion Springboro (24-7) or Perrysburg (23-8) in the state championship game at 4 p.m. Sunday at Canal Park in Akron.
The Firebirds, who were ranked 13th in the final regular season coaches poll, graduate 13 seniors.
“I’m happy for these kids,” Gschwind said of Lakota West’s ride this season. “It’s an awful lot of fun. Today didn’t go our way. But these kids have a lot to be proud of.”
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