The St. Xavier Bombers traveled to Joe Nuxhall Field Friday evening to face off against an incredibly tough Lakota West Firebirds offense. The Bombers looked to continue pushing the pace on the base pads and continue to make clutch plays at the plate after a close 5-2 win over Walnut Hills in the semifinals. 

On the mound for the Bombers was two-way star Jack Ryan. Ryan struggled early in the first opening the game with a four pitch walk. The Bombers would make a throwing error the next play on a sacrifice bunt allowing everyone to reach safely. After a double steal and no outs the Firebirds would plate the first run of the game on an RBI single. The Bombers would prevent the second run from coming home however with junior Cameron Kline throwing a missile to home nab the runner at home to keep the score 1-0. Ryan would induce a ground out for the second out of the inning. However, senior Sam Spregnard would make an error to allow Lakota West to give hold a 2-0 lead headed into the bottom half of the first. 

The Bombers would be held scoreless in the bottom half of the inning stranding Ryan on first with two outs. Ryan turned in a great second inning inducing a ground out and pop out before striking out the final batter of the inning looking to flip the momentum over to the Bombers. The Bombers would ride Ryan's quality inning of work loading the bases with one out after two singles and an error by the Firebirds would allow Sprengard to tie the game 2-2 on a hard hit ground ball into left. Senior Dillon Brus would follow Sprengard up with a sac fly before the Bombers would reload the bases with two outs for Ryan as he'd extend on a ground ball through 1st base and short to give the Bombers a 4-2 lead headed into the third. 

The Firebirds wouldn't go down with out a fight after a lead off single and one out walk, Lakota West would cut the deficit to 4-3 on a line drive single to left field. Ryan would shut down the rally quick generating a whiff for his third strikeout of the game. The Bombers offense continued to keep their foot on the gas as junior Logan Von Hoelle would draw an opening walk followed by a sac bunt from sophomore Griffen Doxsey that induced an error by the first baseman. With the Bombers threatening with runners on the corners following a fly out, the Bombers brought in junior Cullen O'Brien with a big opportunity to break the game open for the Bombers. Following a wild pitch that moved Doxsey to second, O'Brien would slap a single to left field to give the Bombers a 6-3 lead headed into the top half of the fourth. 

Ryan would continue to work out of trouble after getting two quick outs on a fly out and line out, he'd have runners on the corners with two outs following a walk and single. He'd get out of the game forcing a weak ground out to end the inning. The Bombers would be silenced in the bottom half of the inning stranding Ryan again after a one out double. Ryan would continue give the Bombers quality innings of work for the Bombers registering two fly outs and a punch out to end the inning. The Bombers would be sat down in order to end the fifth. 

After an opening line out, Ryan's night would be done following a single and walk. The Bombers would bring in lock down junior reliever Sam Vovak with one out. He'd keep the Firebirds scoreless to end the inning on a strike out looking and fly out. St. Xavier wouldn't look back after the clutch pitching from Vovak, as the Bombers would put runners on the corners with back-to-back singles from Sprengard and Brus allowing senior Braden Bricking to extend the Bomber lead. Following a fly out and Bricking nabbing second, senior Jackson Sherrard would score the final run of the game for the Bombers on a line drive single to right to give them an 8-3 lead headed into the seventh. Vovak would waste no time getting the save as he'd sit the Firebirds down in order to give the Bombers the district trophy.

With the win the Bombers, will travel to the bricks of Miami University to take on the Elder Panthers on Wednesday at 2 p.m.