Quitman High School scored an unearned run in the first inning that stood up for a school history making victory. Wait! Haven’t I seen this somewhere before, you ask?

Don’t worry, you aren’t suffering from Deja vu, the phenomenon of feeling as though one has lived through the present situation. You have seen this report before. Just a few days ago, matter of fact! 

There is difference though. A major one!

This isn’t a repeat of last Tuesday’s victory over top-ranked Pitkin in the semi-finals of the LHSAA Division V state baseball tournament. Instead, it is the recap of the 5th seeded, Wolverines 1-0 victory over #3 Hicks in the state championship game on Friday that gives Quitman their first ever state championship in prep baseball competition. 

As in the semi’s, Quitman followed basically the same game script to claim the victory. Hudson Pullig led off the game by reaching on an error. Only this time he wasn’t the one to score the only run of the game. That distinction went to Logan Ponder, who after reaching first on a bunt that forced Pullig out at third, scored when John Raegan Hasley’s ground ball was also misplayed.

The lone run was all the Wolverines would need. 

That is because Ian Tilley, once again, put on a sterling pitching performance, and the Quitman infield made some spectacular plays late in the game. On the heels of his complete game, shut out of Pitkin, Tilley again didn’t allow a run in five innings of work, giving him 12 straight innings of not allowing a run  to earn his second straight state tourney victory and claim state championship game MVP honors. Ponder got the save by keeping Hicks at bay over the final two innings.  

In each of the final three innings Hicks had a runner reach third base, the last two times with less than two outs. Three times the Wolverines kept the runner from scoring.

The first time was in the bottom of the fifth inning when the Pirates hit back-to-back singles to open the inning. A one-out bunt moved the runners to second and third but Quitman then perfectly executed a pick off play to get out of the inning. 

Five times the ball was thrown to another fielder beginning with Tilley throwing to shortstop Ponder who then threw to Riley Duck at third, getting the runner at third in a run down. Duck fired to catcher Pete Simonelli who ran the runner back before tossing the ball back to Duck who tagged the runner out. 

In the 6th inning, Hicks once again had a runner reach third base with just one out and once again, Simonelli came up with a big defensive play when he fielded a bunt and got the runner out to end the threat.  

Desperate to score, Hicks opened the final frame with a single as well. A ground out advanced the runner to second and a wild pitch moved him to third with one out. As fate would have it, Tilley would make the play that ended the contest, fielding a line shot at second base and firing to Duck at third, who tagged out the runner attempting to get back to the base.

Game Over! 

After the contest, QHS head coach Joe Lockhart was quick to point out the main reason that the Wolverines were able to win three straight one run games to claim the state championship.

“We played a lot of games that came down to the wire this year and we learned how to stay cool in tight situations,” reminisced Lockhart. “We became a team that could perform under pressure and not beat ourselves.”

The victory caps off the most successful spring in Quitman High School history which saw QHS win three LHSAA team state championships, adding the titles claimed by the Lady Wolverines softball team and the boys golf team.