Eagles Three-Peat Class 4 District 4 Championship

With the world strapped against his back, Lucas Parsons was just a pitch away from Sullivan’s (16-9) third consecutive district title. The Eagles held the No. 1 Dutchmen (13-10) to zero runs until the bottom of the seventh. 

Chase Weirich was first to hit for Owensville and capitalized on Sullivan’s error to reach third base. As the Dutchman stared down home plate, Parsons kept his cool and eyes locked into the strike zone. He put away Owensville’s second batter, followed by shortstop Nolan Ulrich throwing to Drake Gawer for a ground out. Weirich then crossed the dish, cutting Sullivan’s three-run lead to two.

Needing just one more out, Parsons prayed into his glove, saying he could trust his defense and himself to earn his team another day.

Logan Kleekamp stepped up to the plate for Owensville, then smoked a grounder to the mound. Parsons quickly scooped the ball up, then fired it to Gawer at first base, where history was made.

The final out cemented Sullivan’s three-peat in the Class 4 District 4 Championship. The Eagles upset the Dutchmen 3-1 to win their third straight plaque on Friday, May 23.

They began their streak in 2023 with a 16-5 victory over St. James. Then Sullivan rallied to win their second title, stunning Owensville 3-2 on a walk-off RBI. 

A year later, the Eagles found themselves on the other end when playing Owensville in the regular season. The Dutchmen overcame the jaws of defeat to beat Sullivan 4-3 and secure the top seed.

After the loss, the Eagles fell to No. 2 in the district bracket but used it to fuel the fire. They first bounced the host, St. Clair, in the semifinal on Monday, May 19. Gawer threw a no-hitter, propelling Sullivan forward with a 5-0 shutout.

The Eagles continued to play with an ‘earn another day’ mentality in the championship. Their no-fly-zone defense kept Owensville from scoring in the first six innings. 

The Dutchmen were just an inch away from home plate in the bottom of the first. With bases loaded, Jansen Loeb ripped a fly ball deep to left field for Owensville. Ulrich quickly retrieved it and sent a dagger to catcher Alex Toews, who tagged a runner at the dish for the final out.

Toews pulled off another acrobatic feat to cap the fourth inning. Loeb popped a ball into foul territory near Sullivan’s dugout, where Toews switched into goalie mode. He dove headfirst into the turf, extended his glove with all his might, and snagged an out that only movies could dream of. 

After his jaw-dropping play, the Eagles found their momentum at bat and seized a 3-0 lead. Raiden Redd doubled on a line drive, allowing Nate McReynolds to break the drought. Then Seth Valley bunted and reached second base while Redd slid across the dish. Chase Blue sacrificed himself on a fly out for the third and final score, and Valley surfed the turf into home plate.

Parsons continued throwing a heater on the mound, holding the Dutchmen from rallying back. He mowed down six batters in his seven innings, only allowing three hits and two walks. Head Coach Ian Whitson awarded him the Most Valuable Player Belt after the victory.

As one of nine seniors, Parsons looks to finish what he and his fellow graduates started four years ago: “the dream of a state championship.” They are locked into making the most of their last ride as teammates. “We take nothing for granted,” Parsons stated. “We are earning another day, one pitch at a time and one at-bat at a time.”

The Eagles have incorporated “earn another day” in every game and practice. Whitson credited Sullivan’s “very own future Hall of Fame softball coach, Coach Crump,” who used the motto for her players in their Final Four run last year.

He described this stretch of the season as “win or go home time,” meaning “every pitch, swing [and] defensive play matters.” Whitson continued, saying, “For some of our guys, this will be their last run and their last time playing competitive baseball... They don’t want it to end; I don’t want it to end. But the only way for it to continue is to go out there and Earn. Another. Day.”

The Eagles advanced to play Lutheran South in the Class 4 Sectional 2 round on Tuesday, May 27. Stats for the road matchup were unavailable at press time. 

Whitson believes that Sullivan’s duel against the Lancers will come down to their “execution of situational baseball.” He explained that the “team [that] can manufacture runs, throw strikes and play good defensive ball will come out on top. You have to have all three to be successful this time of year.”