Three Norwalk players help Lorain win state title

COLUMBUS — Three Norwalk freshmen recently helped the Lorain Panthers travel baseball team win the 14-under Nations Baseball Five Tool youth state championship, held June 13-16 at Lou Berliner Park in Columbus. The event, which is the largest state tournament in the U.S., featured 47 teams in the open 14U division. The Panthers went 7-0 en route to winning the state championship, which the team also won a year ago at the 13U level. Norwalk's Noah Helton and Canyon Craig, along with St. Paul's Alex Marsh, are members of the team. In pool play on June 13, the Panthers opened with wins of 12-2 and 12-1, respectively. In the 12-2 win, Helton was 1 for 2 with two RBIs and scored a run, while Craig was 1 for 2, and Marsh was 1 for 1 with two RBIs, a walk and two runs scored. In the 12-1 win, Marsh walked twice and scored a run, while Craig was 1 for 1 with an RBI, a run and a walk, and Helton also walked once and scored. Lorain started June 14 with a 15-2 win that saw Craig single with two RBIs, while Marsh also singled with an RBI and scored twice. Helton was 1 for 2 with an RBI and also scored once. The Panthers then posted a 13-4 win on June 15 as Helton was 1 for 2 with a pair of RBIs and scored twice. In a quarterfinal game on Saturday, a 12-1 victory, Helton was 1 for 2 with a home run, three RBIs, one walk and scored twice. He also threw two innings on the mound for the win. Helton allowed one earned run on one hit with three strikeouts and three walks. In the semifinals on June 16, the Panthers outlasted Demand Command Whitmire with an 11-8 win that saw Helton double with an RBI and a walk. Marsh went 1 2/3 innings on the mound and allowed five earned runs on six hits. Helton then went 4 1-3 innings and allowed two earned runs on three hits with six strikeouts and two walks to earn the win. Lorain then cruised to a 16-1 win over Diamond Kings in the championship game on June 16, with Helton scoring a run in the victory. Over the course of the three days, Helton finished 5 for 13 (.385) with one double, one home run, nine RBIs and eight runs scored. He threw 6 1/3 innings and allowed three earned runs on four hits with nine strikeouts and five walks on the mound. Marsh was 2 for 5 with three RBIs, four walks and four runs scored, while Craig was 3 for 5 with three RBIs, a run and a walk.