Chatham reaches uncharted territory as first Section II baseball team to win three straight state titles

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- It's been a postseason of "firsts" on the diamond in Section II. Six high school baseball/softball teams won their first section title in 20+ years. Three teams claimed their first-ever state title. Chatham baseball added to that narrative in spectacular fashion Saturday afternoon, becoming the first baseball team in Section II history to win three straight state championships.

The Panthers bested Section IX's Burke Catholic, 11-5, in the NYSPHSAA Class C final at Mirabito Stadium in Binghamton. Not only is Chatham the first area program to achieve a state title three-peat, they're the first team across New York to do so in 30 years. The last was Section I's North Rockland, which won in Class A from 1992-'94.

"In the fifth [inning], it hit me. I had to, like, go down and kinda smack myself on the side of the cheek to get my mind back into the game," said head coach Scott Steltz. "Our kids deserve it. We coach them extremely hard. The families, for the most part, always support us. That's what helps us get to this level. I don't think it's any one thing we do. I think it's more the staff, the team and the community that back us up."

For a team that scored 40 runs in the first three games of the tournament, it came as no surprise that Chatham got on the scoreboard early and often in this one. A bases-loaded wild pitch to Owen Wilber in the top of the second inning allowed L.J. Morse to come in for the first run.

The Panthers loaded the bases again in the third, and Jacob Carroll doubled down the right-field line, plating a pair of runners, which grew the margin to three.

Burke Catholic managed to post two runs in the home half of the inning, but Chatham responded by hanging a five-spot in the fourth to take a commanding, 8-2 lead. The Panthers capitalized on three walks issued by Eagles pitcher Jordan Drucker, and three errors committed by the defense in the inning.

Burke Catholic didn't threaten Chatham's lead the rest of the game - a credit to starting pitcher Logan Smalley, who allowed just two hits after his third-inning hiccup.

Smalley nearly finished off a complete game. He was pulled with two outs in the seventh inning due to a pitch count above the maximum of 125.

As Smalley exited the game, he embraced each member of his infield, and walked off the field to a standing ovation from the Chatham faithful.

"It's unreal. All these seniors - I've played with them since I was, like...I don't even know. I've played with them forever," said Smalley, who was fighting back tears. "I love these guys. Walking off the mound with them was a different feeling."

Junior reliever Kiah Pinto came on in relief, and recorded the game-ending, victory-clinching punchout. He was one of a number of underclassmen who made an impact for Chatham. Smalley, a junior, earned the win and scored two runs offensively. Carroll, also a junior, went 2-5 with a game-high four runs batted in. And junior right fielder Hunter Kelly recorded an RBI as well.

Their performances were representative of their impact throughout the season, according to senior shortstop Tate Van Alstyne.

"We had a lot of young guys step up this year," said Van Alstyne. "In the off-season, every single one of 'em was putting in work. I had no doubt in any of them. They really stepped up big-time, and I can't thank them enough."

Chatham finishes the season with a 24-4 record, moving their three-year cumulative record to a staggering 76-7.