RYAN THELEN
East Ridge • baseball
For the first four innings of the Class 4A championship game Thursday, the Raptors righthanded starter had pitched well. But his counterpart, New Prague's Luke Tupy, had retired the first 13 East Ridge batters he faced, 10 of them by strikeout.
At the same time, Thelen was doing his job, keeping his team close, giving up just one run on three hits during that span.
As it turned out, Thelen's less-heralded start proved to be just what East Ridge needed. His teammates turned up the offense in the fifth inning with six hits and five runs, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 5-1 Raptors lead.
Thelen responded by doing what he had been doing all game: Throwing strikes and not giving previously hot-hitting New Prague a chance to ignite a rally.
He finished with a complete-game 7-2 victory, allowing two runs on six hits and a walk, striking out five.
"He's a guy that's got stuff. He can get the best guys out on the other team all the time," East Ridge coach Brian Sprout said. "He had all kinds of confidence to start the game. You could see it in his face. He was smiling and he was ready to go."\
DUKE COBORN
St. Thomas Academy baseball
The senior righthander outdueled Benilde-St. Margaret's Blake Mahmood in a pitchers' duel in the Class 3A championship game. Coborn threw a six-hit shutout, walking one while striking out nine in the Cadets' 1-0 victory.
WOODROW GLAZER
New Prague • clay target shooting
The senior won the MSHSL clay target shooting individual state championship for the third year in a row. As he has in the previous tournaments, Glazer scored a perfect 100-for-100 on clay targets, leading New Prague to the team crown.
