Cornwall’s undefeated baseball team punched its ticket to the state Final Four on Saturday, blanking the Rye Garnets 9-0 in the Class AA regional championship behind a combined no-hitter from junior Charles Rourke and sophomore Sage Caesar.

The Dragons improved to 24-0, while Rye finished its season at 17-5.

Rourke started on the mound and was relieved by Caesar to begin the fifth inning. Caesar struck out the side in his first frame of work and did not allow a hit, combining with Rourke to preserve the no-hitter through nine innings. Caesar finished the game on the mound, recording the final out on a strikeout with two outs and two strikes.

“The feeling is phenomenal,” Caesar said. “Striking out for a no-hitter — especially in regionals, against a really good batting team — is just so amazing.”

Cornwall built its lead with a run in the second inning before breaking the game open with six runs in the sixth. In the second, Danny Twomey led off with a single, and Matt Finn’s single brought him home. Aaden Hershberger and Colin Steiner each added RBIs during the frame to give the Dragons a 3-0 advantage.
The sixth inning proved decisive. Hershberger hit a ground ball single to score Finn, and both Richie Roohan and Caesar hit doubles. Tyler Maus and Twomey each added singles as Cornwall sent nine batters to the plate, extending the lead to nine runs.

Klay McCarthy started on the mound for Rye before being relieved by Lucas London in the fifth inning. A wild pitch by London allowed Tyler Maus to score from third, pushing the Cornwall lead to four.

Head Coach Thomas Fanning praised his team’s approach at the plate.

“Unbelievable — good at bats, unselfish at bats,” Fanning said. “Just doing what we’ve done all year.”
Fanning was equally effusive about his pitchers.

“It was a combined no-hitter between the two of them — I didn’t even realize that,” he said. “When they had a spot in the game where they were getting a little loose, they buckled right down. It was great.”

Asked about the emotional weight of the win, Fanning reflected on the bond he has with his players.

“It’s an immense amount of pride — that’s all it is,” he said. “I feel like it’s my family. I’m a coach trying to win games, but I’m also rooting for them.”

Caesar, who also contributed offensively with a double in the sixth, said he was locked in from his first pitch.

“We’re both really dominant pitchers,” Caesar said. “Charles, you saw that in the section championship. We were both just dominant today.”

Cornwall will face Section 8’s Kennedy Catholic in the state semifinal Friday, June 12, at Mirabito Stadium in Binghamton.