Cashion beats Oktaha for first Oklahoma high school Class 2A-I baseball championship
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Cashion baseball wasn’t in a great spot when Blake Mounce took over 11 years ago.
Numbers were down.
The field was a mess.
It’s been a process to build the program into a title contender since then, but the Wildcats improved and made their fifth straight state tournament appearance this season.
And on Saturday, Cashion got over the ultimate hump.
Led by junior Brody Nichols, the Class 2A-I third-ranked Wildcats beat No. 9 Oktaha 7-0 at Shawnee High School, claiming their first title in program history.
Nichols pitched a complete game and allowed just five hits.
“When you give up no runs in seven innings to a team like Oktaha and only five hits, three walks, three strikeouts — that’s a really good game,” Mounce said.
Cashion (33-3) and Oktaha (17-14) faced off in the Class 2A championship game last year, and Oktaha dominated, winning 15-5 in six innings and capturing its first title.
This time, things were flipped as Cashion played for a championship for just the second time.
“This was the pinnacle,” Mounce said. “And I think we can sustain it. We lose two seniors. One was a DH and one was our center fielder. I think we'll be just as good, if not better, next year. So I think it's in a good spot, the program as a whole.”
While Nichols shined on the mound, Cashion’s offense got going in the third inning, scoring four runs, and added three in the fourth.
Sophomore Kellen Smith and junior Aidan Berry each finished with one hit and drove in two runs, while junior Brian Nabavi had two hits and one RBI.
“It means a lot,” Mounce said of the win. “It was a big day.”
Nick Sardis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Nick? He can be reached at nsardis@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @nicksardis. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Nick's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OSSAA Class 2A-I baseball: Cashion beats Oktaha for first championship
