By Pete Cava 

INDIANAPOLIS – Watching Tanner Tully's first-inning blast sail over the right field fence at Victory Field, Elkhart Central coach Steve Stutsman said, "'I think we just won the ball game." 

Stutsman's words were prophetic.  Tully's home run accounted for the lone run of the IHSAA 4A championship game as the Blazers (32-1) ended Indianapolis Cathedral's dream of an undefeated season. 

Tully made the run stand up, scattering five hits and allowing no walks.  The Ohio State University recruit, who finished the season with a 9-1 record, notched 13 strikeouts. 

Elkhart Central was playing in the state title game for the first time.  "We don't do anything the easy way at Elkhart Central," Stutsman, the Blazer's 18-year coaching veteran, said of the edge-of-your seat contest.  "But when you have a No. 17, Tanner Tully on the mound, all we need is one run." 

Cathedral, the Indiana 3A champion in 2001 and the 4A winner in 2007, was playing in its sixth state championship game.  The Fighting Irish also dropped a 1-0 decision in the 2010 title game against Fort Wayne Carroll.  That contest went nine innings. 

"Once is too many," said Cathedral coach Rich Andriole.  "It's a great group of guys, and it's hard to look at this as a negative or a failure.  We played very well, and a very good player made a very good play.  He's terrific.  He's going to Ohio State for a reason." 

Tully, Elkhart Central's leadoff hitter, jumped on the fourth pitch he saw from Cathedral right-hander Ashe Russell – a 1-2 fastball – for his tenth homer of the year. 

Tully opened the seventh with a pair of strikeouts, but drilled Cathedral's Sean Snyder to put the tying run on first.  Tully ended the one-hour, 18 minute contest by fanning Russell on a 2-2 pitch. 

Russell, the 6-foot-4 righty, also pitched a gem.  The Cathedral sophomore gave up three hits and no free passes while striking out five.  Russell finished the year with a 12-1 record. 

The loss was the first of the year for the Irish (28-1).  "It's always good to knock off somebody who's undefeated," said Tully, who leaves for Columbus at the end of August. 

Elkhart Central (32-1) finished with 22 consecutive victories.  The Blazers' last defeat came on April 26 at Penn. 

Stutsman had kind words for Cathedral.  "Somebody told us that we're like mirror images of one another," he said. "And that's what I thought coming in.  But like I said, I thought if we could get a couple of runs, Tanner could shut 'em down." 

Each of the weekend’s four state championship games was decided by one run.  "When you're at this level, you expect that," said Stutsman.  "We knew that we were going to play a good team, and I think all the other state champions knew that, too.  It just tells you the level of baseball in Indiana." 

Notes:  The Class 4A L.V. Phillips Mental Attitude Award went to Elkhart Central outfielder Matt Eppers. 

Saturday's three-game attendance was 5,269.