PEARL — A great team made this one look easy.

St. Aloysius stormed its way to its first state championship since 1976 by rolling by West Union 13-2 in five innings at Trustmark Park. St. Al coach Clint Wilkerson took five years to build the program to this shining moment as the Flashes finished a dominating season 28-4.

“We had guys who battle. In that last inning, Ryno (Martin-Nez) was throwing 84 to 88 (mph). He was big time for us,” Wilkerson said.

Pitching and defense were the keys for St. Al in this short series. There was no doubt who was the better team.

The Flashes played error-free ball. All routine plays were made, even the series’ final out when shortstop Pierson Waring fired a strike to senior Joseph Brown.

“I thought about flipping the ball over to Justin (Rushing) at second, but I saw where they had a big ole guy running, so I knew I could get him,” Waring said

The Flashes had a 6-0 shutout in Game 1 and gave up just two runs in Game 2, both coming in the first inning while Martin-Nez walked one and hit one. 

Both those gifts came around on West Union’s only timely hit of the series, a single by Hunter McQuarry and a fly-out RBI by Taylor English to put West Union up 2-0.

“I wasn’t too worried about those two runs. I knew we’d score,” said St. Al infielder Rushing . “But at that same time, we knew we couldn’t let this team stay in there. We had to get on them.”

Get on them they did.

The Flashes struck for two runs in the third off an RBIsingle by Martin-Nez and a passed ball to tie the game at 2. In the fourth inning, they knocked out West Union ace Will Basil with a decisive five-run rally, fueled by four walks.

The runs gave Martin-Nez a 7-2 lead. The first run came in off a Blake Haygood ground which Pierson Waring breaking up a potential double-play, allowing pinch-runner Brendan Beesley to score. Then after issuing an intentional walk to Martin-Nez, Basil lost Stephen Evans on a high fast ball for the inning’s fourth walk.

Basil was pulled and Wesley Jumper came in. He was greeted by a sharp hit by Sean Weaver. West Union’s centerfielder dove for the ball, hoping to make a spectacular catch, the ball fell too quickly, and rolled past him, allowing all three St. Al base runners to score and up the lead to 7-2.

“We just didn’t do the things that got us here,” West Union coach Ashley Russell said. “We could never stop the bleeding. Had we made that play in center or not hit a batter, we might’ve stopped the bleeding. but we just couldn’t get it stopped.”

Then the wheels really fell off the Eagles. Rushing led off what would be a six-run inning with a double. That was followed by hits from Brown and Regan Nosser. A hit batter, and three straight Eagle errors chased home three more runs to make it 12-2. Another catcher’s overthrow of third base brought in the frame’s final run and gave Martin-Nez a 13-2 lead.

Rushing and Martin-Nez each had two hits to lead the Flashes’ bats.

“We knew (Basil) had a good curveball, but it usually stayed too outside. I was able to stay with it and drive it to right field,” said Rushing, who started both the 5-run fourth and 6-run fifth with hits.

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Contact Jeff Byrd at jbyrd@vicksburgpost.com