St. Paul Baseball Defends Title With 10-4 Semifinal Win
The St. Paul Falcons rallied from a three-run deficit to punch their ticket back to the Class S championship game, keeping their dream of back-to-back titles alive. The reigning champions overcame early adversity and roster losses to prove they're still Connecticut's team to beat.
When Woodland jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third inning, St. Paul's season could have unraveled. Instead, the defending Class S champions showed exactly why they wear the crown.
The Falcons exploded for four runs in the bottom of the third, sparked by center fielder Jay DeRosa's clutch three-run triple. Just minutes after misreading a fly ball that led to Woodland's scoring, DeRosa turned his mistake into motivation and tied the game with one swing.
"Right after that three-run inning by them, Vic talked to us, motivated us, we took those runs as motivation," DeRosa said after the 10-4 semifinal victory at Palmer Field on Tuesday.
The momentum never stopped. Nicky Vlaskos followed DeRosa with his second extra-base hit of the game, another triple that gave St. Paul a 4-3 lead they would never relinquish.
The Falcons added four more runs in the fourth inning, highlighted by Chase Boudreau's two-run single that stretched the lead to 8-3. When Woodland threatened with the bases loaded in the fifth, sophomore Chase King came in and escaped without allowing a run.
Keaton Kroll provided the insurance with a two-run homer over the left field fence to make it 10-3. The same player who delivered the walk-off hit against Woodland in the NVL Championship two weeks earlier came through again when his team needed him.
Why This Inspires
This championship run carries extra weight. The Falcons lost their top two pitchers from last year's title team and graduated key seniors, yet they've powered through to a 25-2 record. Coach Victor Rinaldi knows how special it is to return to this stage.
"You never know when you're gonna make it back, so it's always special," Rinaldi said. Now St. Paul stands one win away from back-to-back state titles for the first time since 1972.
The championship game awaits, and the Falcons are showing Connecticut that defending a crown takes more than talent. It takes heart, resilience, and the ability to turn three-run deficits into eight-run victories.
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Based on reporting by Google News - Championship Win
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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