Keizer, Ore. —
The Marist baseball team captured its first state championship on Saturday, edging Tillamook 4-3 in a game that swung back and forth until the final outs.
Gianni Lombardi, the senior right-hander, delivered 5 2/3 innings of gritty pitching, striking out eight batters while also contributing a key hit at the plate.
Marist jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, thanks to timely hits from Lombardi and Jalen Smith, who finished the game 3-for-3 with two RBIs.
The offense continued to press, with Smith driving in crucial runs and the team capitalizing on early momentum.
Tillamook answered in the sixth with a three-run rally that threatened to flip the script, but Marist’s defense held firm, preserving the narrow margin.
Coach Noah Breslaw praised his squad’s resilience, noting how the team had overcome earlier setbacks, including a narrow loss in the 2024 championship game.
The victory also highlighted a breakout season for several players, including Alec Malpass and Smith, who both posted batting averages above .500 during the playoff run.
The team will say goodbye to six seniors, among them Lombardi and Luke Benkonvich, who will continue their careers at the collegiate level.
Looking ahead, Marist’s future appears bright as the program transitions to a new era, carrying the momentum of a historic championship into the next season.