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There was one ball and two strikes on Lima’s Miller Ladusau in the bottom of the ninth. Closer Chase Hopewell got set to deliver the next pitch with hopes that he could locate the perfect one. Hopewell had struck out four of the last five batters he had faced and was eager to produce the final out of the game to seal the Locos’ fate.

 

As the ball left his hand, the Joes knew that they had finally completed the task that had been on their minds for 60 days. They were officially the 2021 Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League champions.

 

But, the 3-1 win did not come easy. It took nine innings of laser-sharp focus to check all the boxes and ensure that Hamilton went home the winner. 

 

The Joes laid out their plan of attack at the top of the first. Their goal was to put up a run before their opponent to keep the control out of Lima’s hands.

 

Hamilton’s plan worked much to its delight. Cole Becker crossed the plate on a RBI groundout by Evan Ulrich to give the Joes a 1-0 lead.

 

The duo later added extra padding to the lead in the top of the third. Ulrich reached safely on a single to right field and advanced Becker to third base. Becker then scored on a throwing error by the right fielder, boosting the lead to 2-0. 

 

Hamilton scored its final run of the night in the top of the fourth. Harry Jackson traded places with Logan Castleman on an RBI-double to left field and grew the Joes’ run total.

 

It was up to starting pitcher Sebastian Gongora to lead the defense in protecting the short lead. The lefty commanded the mound with confidence and threw six scoreless innings. He relied on his fastball and changeup to mow through the Locos lineup. 

 

Gongora also used his mental game to elevate himself over the hitters on Saturday. His quick mantra helped him stay relaxed and focused on striking out batters.

 

“Before every inning, I tell myself 'right at 'em'," Gongora said. 

 

Gongora’s thoughts soon were reality. He continuously attacked the hitters and collected seven strikeouts to complete his final outing of the season.

 

The pair of Gongora and Hopewell kept Lima from breaching Hamilton's lead. Their lights-out pitching coupled with the productive offense gave the Joes the tools to finish the game with the outcome they had desired for so long. 

 

The Hamilton bench cleared immediately after the last out to form a dogpile in celebration. The fans hollered in excitement as they witnessed the spectacle because they knew how much heart went into the game despite Saturday being the last outing of the season.   

 

Countless hours led up to the moment that head coach Tyler Thamann could hold the trophy from his first championship as the leader of the Joes. Reflecting on that time, Thamann expressed how much he had learned from the team throughout their journey. 

 

“Our guys grinded day in and day out,” Thamann said. “It’s a long experience, especially with the COVID year and them only playing weekend days (in college), and then coming and playing six days a week. It’s a grind."

 

It may not have been all smiles this season, but there was not a single frown on the Joes’ faces as the 2021 team packed up the dugout for the last time. The summer may have been tiring, but the Joes can now rest easy as the GLSCL champions.