Knights Win!

Knights Win!

By: Monroe Duff (Class of 2027)

The Bishop O'Connell Knights won the WCAC championship 5-2 for the first time in 25 years on May 10, at Bob Turtle Smith Stadium. The Knights took on the Paul VI Panthers in a three-game series, winning the final two games. After losing the first game 7-5, The Knights won the second game on a wild pitch to walk it off and force a game three and a winner-take-all contest for the trophy.

The Knights started the day with two runs in the top of the first inning as the first run scored with a Jack Woda (Class of 2026) double off the top of the wall in the left center field gap. Senior Bryant James would come around to score. The Second run would score with the next batter as junior Walker McElwain would single to center. The Knights jumped on the Panthers early, giving freshman starting pitcher Kayden Ragsdale some leeway on the mound.

PVI would get to work on the offensive side scoring a run across the plate in the second. The two pitchers started getting comfortable on the mound after giving up runs, creating a pitcher’s duel in the middle innings.

O’Connell would finally score again in the top of the 5th after junior Daggu Rana would hit a single to left field on a seven pitch at bat. Woda, after stealing a base, ended up scoring a run on Rana’s hit. O’Connell took a 3-1 lead with only nine outs remaining for the Panthers.

In the Bottom of the fifth, Ragsdale would have a six pitch inning with the first out being a sliding catch by junior Lucas Grubb in right field. Ragsdale went five innings, giving up three hits and two runs while recording one strikeout. Cam Bates (Class of 2027) would enter the last two innings looking to close the game.

The Knights could start to smell the championship in the top of the sixth but they weren’t done yet. Rana, on another seven-pitch at bat, hit one on the ground through the left-side of the infield as junior Ryan Fontenot came in to score. The Knights didn’t stop there, with sophomore Kian Kaboli getting an infield single to make it 5-2. Two massive insurance runs with the Knights just three outs away from a championship.

In the final half-inning James made an amazing play with a nice back hand to get an out. Bates would end up shutting down PVI with a strikeout to win the championship.

The mission that started all the way back in September has been finished. The 2026 O’Connell Knights will always be remembered as champions, forever etching their name into the history of the school.