STATE COLLEGE – The Faith Christian baseball team had not trailed in any of its first three PIAA playoff games.

Three batters into the top of the first inning in Friday’s Class 1A state final, the Lions found themselves down 1-0.

Eden Christian’s Noah Emswiler singled on the first pitch from Faith right-hander Reid Miller. Brett Feldman followed with an infield base hit down the third-base line. An error as the Lions attempted to turn a double play allowed Feldman to score and the Warriors had the early advantage.

“It felt a little weird,” Faith Christian freshman Jagger Verbit said. “It was 1-0, but it was only 1-0. One big hit, all it takes is one big hit to break it open and give us the lead.”

It ended up being Verbit who provided the Lions with the clutch moment at the plate in the bottom of the fifth. After a bases-loaded balk pulled Faith even, Verbit knocked a single through the right side of the infield, bringing home a pair of runs to give the District champs a 3-1 lead.

“It was the best moment I’ve ever felt,” Verbit said. “I can’t even describe it.”

Three batters later, Brandon Labs’ two-out RBI single added a fourth run in the frame. Miller made sure the outburst stood up, finishing a complete-game effort with six shutout innings as Faith Christian secured a perfect season and its first-ever state title with a 4-1 victory over the Warriors at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.

“There’s no words yet,” Faith first-year coach Nick Koffel said. “First in school history but at the same time undefeated season – 23-0 and a state championship. If you could pick one or the other obviously everybody’s going to pick a state championship but to be able to achieve both is unheard of at the high school level.

“Again, a testament to our coaches, our players, our parents and of course our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I mean, we can’t do any of that without any of these people or without him.”

After allowing a pair of hits in the first, Miller gave up just two more the rest of the contest with only one Eden Christian baserunner reaching second over the final six innings. The junior threw 97 pitches, walked one and struck out eight.

“We knew that the first five were going to hit so we were attacking them more with the off-speed,” Miller said. ‘Once we got past that we were kind of just attacking with fastballs, trying to throw strikes, keep the pitch count down.”

Faith Christian (23-0) had never advanced past the state quarterfinals until this season and had not qualified for the PIAA postseason since 2019, falling in the District 1-1A final the previous three years.

The Lions topped Delco Christian 11-4 in district title then edged Nativity BVM 1-0 in the state first round, rolled past MMI Prep 11-0 in the six innings in the quarters then bested Bishop McCort 6-1 in the semis.

“From the very beginning of the year, I thought if we stayed healthy that we could make a state run,” Koffel said. “It was until we probably got over the hump of winning a district title that I thought we could make a legit state championship run and win a state championship.

“These boys have been working their tails off since the first week of January, a couple days a week and just, I can’t be more proud of this group.”

Jacob Janicki went 2-for-2 for District 7 runner-up Eden Christian (19-7), which was looking for its first PIAA title. The Warriors were in the state final for the second time, having fallen to Halifax in the 2021 1A title game.

Eden Christian starting pitcher Brady Hull took the loss, allowing two runs – both earned – on one hit in 4 1/3 innings. He walked four and struck out four.

With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Cayden Celone drew a walk then stole second. With the count 2-0 to Ethan Johnson, Eden Christian brought in Noah Emswiler for Hull. The next two pitches were balls for another walk, giving the Lions two runners. Miller hit a ball to right that dropped in for a single, loading the bases.

“We knew from the beginning we were going to hit, it was just a matter of when we started hitting,” Miller said. “We knew what we were going to face and we were ready for it.”

A balk with Verbit at the plate brought in Celone, knotting the game 1-1. Verbit then put the Lions up for good with his single through the right side, plating both Johnson and Miller’s pinch runner Justin Murray.

“I was trying to hit early, I took first-pitch fastball, should’ve swung probably,” Verbit said. “And then I got a little amped up and swung again and then I was looking to choke up and just put on play, make the fielders field the ball.”

Verbit proceeded to steal second and third and after a Kendri Beltre walk the freshman left fielder came home for a 4-1 lead when Labs’ dribbled an RBI single through the right side.

“We’ve actually been prepping for a left-handed pitcher all week cause two of their top guys were both left-handed,” Koffel said. “So we had been prepping for a lefty all week and as soon as they brought a lefty in I was like all right this our time, we now have a left-hander, let’s get after it.

“And Jagger Verbit, I mean, you can’t say enough about him, freshman comes into a new school, hits .440 as a freshman, carried us at the top of the order for most of the year. Kid’s amazing. He’s going to be a future star.”

In the top of the sixth, Feldman drew a one-out walk but was forced out at second on a Brady Hull fielder’s choice and Miller struck out the following batter.

“Little nerves probably in the first inning but I mean he’s a gamer,” said Koffel of Miller. “He pitches for one of the best teams in the country and he just goes out and he throws strikes, he throws four different pitches that all move. I’m glad he’s on our team.”

Miller struck out the first two batters in the top of the seventh with a fly out to center sealing the Lions’ state championship.

“At the beginning of the year our coaches really thought we had a chance,” Miller said. “We were a special team, we knew it was going to happen, it was just the fact of doing everything, all the little things right and getting here.”

Miller’s day got off to an auspicious start as his first pitch Emswiler connected on for a single. After Feldman’s infield single, Faith forced out Emswiler on a Hull fielder’s choice but an errant throw on a double play attempt let Feldman score and had Hull on second with one out. Miller, however, got a strikeout and a fly out in foul territory.

The only other time Eden had a runner in scoring position came in the fifth when Janicki hit a two-out single and advanced to second on a wild pitch but Miller stranded him there with a strikeout.

“After that first inning, I settled in,” Miller said. “I had trust in my team and I just kind of went out there and threw.”

Faith tried to answer in their half of the first inning, putting two on after a Kendri Beltre two-out single and Grayson Weikel reaching on an error on an infield popup. Weikel, however, was forced out at second on a Labs fielder’s choice.

In the bottom of the second, Noah Wilson led off with a walk and stole second but was picked off. Cayden Celone drew a two-out walk then stole second before a Johnson line out to short ended the inning.

Faith went down in order in both the third and fourth before the Lions collected three of their four hits and drew three walks in sending nine batters to the plate in their four-run fifth.

Photo: Faith Christian players celebrate with the PIAA championship trophy after their 4-1 victory over Eden Christian in the PIAA-1A final on Friday, June 14, 2024 at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park in State College (Mike Cabrey/MediaNews Group)

Article by Mike Cabrey, courtesy of The Pottstown Mercury