LIVE BLOG: Newark Catholic 6, Western Reserve 0, FINAL

Western Reserve (23-5) vs. Newark Catholic (21-11), 1 p.m.

OHSAA Division IV baseball state final

FINAL: NC 6, WR 0

Newark Catholic wins its 8th baseball state title in school history. One bad inning was the difference between a one-run game and an insurmountable deficit for Western Reserve.

5th: NC 6, WR 0

Western Reserve strands runners on 1st and 3rd and frustration beginning to set in.

4th: NC 6, WR 0

Newark Catholic scored five runs on three hits and an error. The error was the most costly on the scoreboard, as three runs came in to score with two outs in the inning.

3rd: NC 1, WR 0

Bottom of WR order got something going in 3rd. Ryan Demsky singled and Zach Smith walked, but Larimer grounded out to second and Walker Marlowe grounded out to the pitcher. With runners on 2nd and 3rd and two outs, Jake Clark grounded out to short. Nice work by Engle to not allow a run after first two batters reached. In bottom half, Larimer recorded all three outs at shortstop for WR.

2nd: NC 1, WR 0

Clegg gets the Blue Devils' first hit of the afternoon, but it doesn't hurt Engle. In the bottom half, NC gets a runner to third, but Clegg gets out of the inning.

1st inning: NC 1, WR 0

Blue Devils go down in order to start the game. The Green Wave got a infield single from Mitch Lohr, followed by a double to right-center by Engle. A Gabe Morris sac fly to right brought home Lohr for an early lead.

Pre-game

John Clegg will start for Western Reserve. Clegg is 5-3 with a 4. 23 ERA entering the state tournament. He also has 48 strikeouts in 42 1/3 innings.

Newark Catholic will start Rob Engle, Ohio Prep Baseball Report’s preseason player of the year in Division IV. The senior right-hander is committed to Muskingum next season.