by Akron, Ohio – In 2021, Chardon became the first football program to finish 16-0, as they captured their second consecutive championship.
Saturday night, the baseball team also got in on the fun.
Thanks to a five-run sixth inning, the Chardon Hilltoppers captured their first state title in school history, defeating defending champion Archbishop Hoban, 8-5, in the OHSAA Division II state championship Saturday night at Canal Park.
Both teams are well known for their prowess on the gridiron, and the game was similar to that of a heavyweight title fight.
Chardon came into Saturday night’s contest looking to win their first state title in school history. Hoban was looking for back-to-back state championships.
The two teams traded zeroes in the first inning.
In the top of the second inning, Stone Fawcett led off with a double. Kyle Maronde had an RBI groundout to put Chardon ahead, 1-0. After an Ethan Faber walk, leadoff hitter Will Francis hit a double to left-center field to score Faber and make the score 2-0.
Hoban responded with a pair of their own. Shawn Parnell got on with a single. Jordan Kievman followed with a triple to right field to cut the Knight deficit to 2-1.
Matt Terzola followed up with a fly ball to left field that slipped past Ethan Faber. Kievman scored to tie it up.
Parker Falkenstein hit a two-run single to left field to put Hoban on top, 4-2, in the bottom of the third inning.
Chardon responded with a one-out triple to right from Kyle Maronde. Ethan Faber followed with an RBI single to make the score 4-3.
Will Francis was hit by a pitch, putting runners on first and second.
Christian Hall lined out to Matthew Terzola. The ensuing throw to second doubled off Ethan Faber to keep the Knights in the lead.
In the fourth inning Michael Ciavolella drew a walk. Nolan Holmgren followed with a hit-by-pitch. With two out, Zack Zimmerman, who reached on the fielder’s choice, stole second, and Ciavolella scored on the errant throw into center to put Hoban ahead, 5-3.
Chardon made their charge in the top of the sixth inning.
Leo Colombi started off with a chopper single. Eric Faber and Will Francis each were hit by pitches to load the bases. Christian Hall followed with a single to left field to cut the deficit to 5-4. Nolan Kirsh took a pitch to drive in the game-tying run.
Senior and Cincinnati commit Shawn Parnell came on in relief, looking to bail the Knights out. He struck out Heath Fetchik to get a huge out.
Not too long after, a wild pitch brought home Will Francis to put the Hilltoppers ahead.
Junior Jake Barker delivered a bases-clearing, two-out double to put Chardon up, 8-5.
Christian Hall came back in for his second stint. He induced a pop-up and worked around a hit batsman, getting a key lineout that turned into a double play.
Shawn Parnell got out of another bases-loaded jam, giving Hoban one last chance. In the bottom of the seventh, he got a one-out single to left field.
Hall then got a lineout to third baseman Nolan Kirsh, who fired it to Jake Barker for the game-ending double play, clinching the first baseball championship in school history.
In addition to the clutch efforts from the aforementioned names, Leo Colombi and Kyle Maronde each had a pair of hits for Chardon. Brandon Fatur came on in relief, throwing 2 2/3 innings and allowing just one run.
