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Olentangy Orange baseball falls to St. Xavier in OHSAA state semifinal

AKRON – The Olentangy Orange baseball team’s bid for its first state title ended with a 5-0 loss to Cincinnati St. Xavier in a Division I semifinal June 11 at 7 17 Credit Union Park.

St. Xavier pitcher Jack Ryan, a Boston College commit, went the distance, limiting the Pioneers to three hits – all in the first three innings. He struck out eight and walked one.

The Bombers (26-5) play Cincinnati Moeller for the championship at 4 p.m. June 12 in Akron.

St. Xavier second baseman Cameron Schaefer tries to turn a double play over Olentangy Orange baserunner Colby Luling during the fifth inning of a Division I state semifinal June 11.

Orange (24-6) was making its third state tournament appearance and first since 2023. The Pioneers also reached state in 2017.

In a game that pitted two aces in Ryan and Orange senior Reid Hemrick, an unlikely player emerged as a star at the plate for St. Xavier in sophomore Dominic Dials. A .245 hitter entering the game, Dials hit his first two home runs of the season.

The left-handed hitter led off the bottom of the third with a homer to right to open the scoring and hit a two-run homer to right in the fourth for a 3-0 lead.

Dillon Brus added a two-run triple in later in the fourth.

Hemrick, a Toledo commit, went five innings, allowing five runs on five hits with three strikeouts and four walks. Mason Poulter threw two scoreless innings in relief.

(This story will be updated.)

High school sports reporter Frank DiRenna can be reached at fdirenna@dispatch.com and at @DispatchFrank on X.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Olentangy Orange falls to St. Xavier in OHSAA baseball state semifinal

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