KOKOMO — The number in front of the name makes no difference in the tournament.
It’s only the numbers at the end of the scoreboard that matter.
On Saturday, it was: Wapahani 2, No. 1 Lapel 1.
The Wapahani High School baseball team pulled off an upset Saturday, edging the top-ranked Bulldogs to win its ninth regional championship at Kokomo Municipal Stadium.
The victory sends the Raiders (19-8) to the semi-state, where they will play the host Oak Hill Golden Eagles (20-9) in the first of two semifinals at 11 a.m. Saturday. The winner will move on to meet either No. 4 Boone Grove (23-6) or Westview (15-11), who play in the other semifinal at 2 p.m., in the championship game at 7 p.m.
The regional championship game was scoreless through five innings with Nate Luce of Wapahani and Kai Newman of the Bulldogs locked in a pitchers’ duel.
The Raiders broke through first after Hayden James reached base on a one-out error in the top of the sixth inning. A walk to Quintine James set the table for Eli Andrews. The junior ripped a line drive triple to center fielder to score James and James, giving Wapahani a 2-0 lead.
Lapel (27-3) was able to strand Andrews at third base and had their opportunity to tie the game in the bottom of the frame. Jaxson Cripe led off the inning by reaching base on an error and later scored on a two-out single by Ray Smith. But Luce struck out Eli Suchocki looking for the final out to preserve a one-run lead.
After a one-two-three top of the seventh, the Bulldogs had some hope when Camden Novak reached base on an error. Luce, though, responded by getting a lineout from AJ Nunley followed by a fly ball from Rylie Hudson to Grayson Acosta in right field to end the game.
Luce went the distance for the win, striking out four while scattering five hits and three walks.
The only hit for Wapahani other than those from Hayden James and Andrews in the sixth inning was a two-out single from Acosta in the second.
Newman suffered the loss despite striking out nine batters. One of the runs against him was unearned.