Sylvania Northview takes home first OHSAA baseball state title with 6-1 win over Grove City

“I have imagined it, but I never thought it would actually happen. Much better than I imagined.”

AKRON, Ohio – Sylvania Northview pitcher Blake Bradford stared at his glove in amazement and then pointed at the ball laying in it.

The senior had just caught a line drive hit back up the middle for the final out to give Northview a 6-1 win in the OHSAA Division I state championship game.

The Wildcats got off to a slow start, as they trailed 1-0 heading to the third inning, but that’s when Northview got the bats going.

With two runners on and one out, Brodey Acres roped a double down the right field line to score Benny Seals and Braden Tackett to give them a 2-1 lead.

“He has been doing it all year,” Bradford said. "He has been stepping up in big moments and getting us runs.”

Northview added runs in the fourth on a Garrett Draper single and a run in the fifth on a Draper sacrifice fly. Then Alex Dupree knocked in a run in the sixth on an RBI single to make it 6-1.

That was plenty of offense for Bradford, who went the distance and allowed just the one run on four hits and struck out six.

“As the game went on, I got more excited,” Bradford said. “And when my team gave me runs, I was able to just pitch and throw my stuff.”

It was the second straight game against top competition, as he threw against St. Ignatius in the regional final. In that game, he threw a complete game and gave up one run on six hits in a 3-1 win.

“The regional final we were playing a good team just like (Grove City),” Bradford said. “I just had to have the same mentality.”

Falling behind is nothing new for Northview, but the Wildcats don’t allow deficits to bother them.

“They don’t worry and all of a sudden we get a lead,” Northview head coach Greg Szparka. “When we get a lead, I feel confident. If we get a lead, we believe it is over.”

Part of that might be the mentality of Saturday’s starting pitcher, who doesn’t want to lose no matter the competition.

“(Blake) is a competitor,” Szparka said. “He doesn’t like to lose at a video game, he doesn’t want to lose here, he doesn’t want to lose at rock, paper, scissors. He is the most competitive kid I have seen at Northview in 20 years.”

When all was said and done, Bradford – and Sylvania Northview - didn’t lose.

And Acres couldn’t believe it.

“I have imagined it, but I never thought it would actually happen,” Acres said. “I can’t complain that it did happen. Much better than I imagined.”

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