The Hurricane High baseball team has found a way to the Class AAA State Championship game in Charleston each of the last six years (2020 exempted because of Covid) only to return home without the State Title except in 2018 when the ’Skins defeated Wheeling Park, 11-5. In 2017 and 2019, St. Albans defeated Hurricane. In 2021, it was the Bridgeport Indians.

This year, the Redskins clashed with the Indians in the semi-finals on Friday, June 3, and came away with the win in an extra inning contest. Technically, the victory is classified as a walk-off because the game ended when Damien Witty’s double allowed Brogan Brown to score.

Spectators viewing the game did not witness a walk-off. They saw Brown galloping at full speed as he and the ball both arrived at home plate. The Bridgeport catcher applied the tag but the ball squirted away. Game over!
The victory made way for the Redskins to move on to the title game against the George Washington Patriots who had defeated Jefferson earlier in the day.

On Saturday, the ’Skins coasted after scoring 8 runs in the third inning to take a 9-0 lead. Hurricane increased the margin to 11-0 in the fourth.

Hurricane pitcher Ethan Spolarich did not yield a hit until the top of the fifth when GW singled. The game ended mercifully for the Patriots when the Redskins turned a game-ending double play.

Hurricane had previously collected Baseball State Champion trophies in 2002, 2012 and 2018.