Nearly four months ago, St. Joseph’s High School in South Bend was celebrating a Class 3A girls basketball title. Saturday, it celebrated its first baseball championship.

Michael Dunkelberger pitched a complete game shutout, allowing only three hits and giving up two walks in a 4-0 victory over Jasper at Victory Field.

Jasper threatened early but could not get on board and left five runners stranded in the first three innings. Dunkelberger retired 10 of his last 12 batters, including nine in a row in the middle innings.

“Our defense was huge for me in the first couple of innings. Then we got a couple of runs and we started going,” said Dunkelberger.

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Baseball is a game of traditions and superstition, and today’s game could have been an example of that.

“I found a rock and I tossed it to coach,” Dunkelberger said. “I guess it was my lucky rock.”

Alex Voss went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Patrick Farrisee brought in two runs on a single to left field in the second inning. Andrew Washburn brought in the third run on a sacrifice fly, and the fourth came in after a throwing error to first base on the same play.

This was St. Joseph’s 10th state title, but its first in baseball.

“I’m just happy for the St. Joseph’s community. … It’s been a great year for our athletes,” said Indians coach John Gumpf.

As for the lucky rock, Gumpf isn’t quite sure it was that: “If he gave one of us a rock, I didn’t know about it. Our defense was big early, and Mike found the strike zone later on. He’s a great pitcher.” 
 
St. Joseph’s joined Cardinal Ritter and Lanesville as first-time state championship winners this year.