St. John Neumann’s baseball team saw its season end in a 6‑4 loss to Orangewood Christian in the Class 1A state semifinal, a game that hinged on early miscues.
The Celtics stumbled out of the gate, committing a series of physical and mental errors that allowed Orangewood to plate three runs in the opening inning.
Neumann answered in the bottom of the second, stringing together two runs to narrow the gap, but the early deficit proved difficult to erase.
Orangewood extended its lead in the fourth, adding two more runs to push the margin to three, before Neumann’s Caden Hylemon entered the game in relief of starter MJ Hough and limited further damage.
A solitary run in the fifth inning brought the Celtics within one, but Orangewood sealed the victory with an insurance run in the seventh.
Voices from the Dugout
Coach Charlie Maurer praised his squad’s resilience in the face of adversity, while Orangewood Christian coach Scott Hilinski emphasized the team’s solid defensive plays and aggressive base running that paved the way to the title game.
The victory sets up a championship showdown between Orangewood and St. Johns Country Day on Saturday, a match that will determine the 1A crown.