Rohan Lettow pitches Hamilton to 6A baseball title over Queen Creek

Chandler Hamilton coach Mike Woods took only one mound trip Tuesday night.

It was during the seventh with runners on first and second and one out. But no way he was taking his ace out.

"I explained to him the situation, that we had a two-run lead still and one run doesn't matter," Woods said.

Right-hander Rohan Lettow finished in spectacular fashion, getting the last two outs, inducing a groundout to leadoff hitter Ryker Waite in the end, and Hamilton celebrated a 3-1 victory over Queen Creek with its second consecutive 6A baseball championship and ninth in program history.

The Huskies (26-5) celebrated on the Tempe Diablo Stadium infield as they threw their gloves in the air and piled on top of each other.

Lettow completed a perfect season at 11-0, beating tough foes such as Basha, Mountain Ridge twice, Sandra Day O'Connor, Brophy Prep, Perry and Chandler and pitching a perfect game against El Dorado (California) in the season's opening week.

On Tuesday, he struck out eight and gave up just three hits and walked two. He had a no-hitter through four innings and if not for a diving attempt at ball in center field that rolled to the fence for an RBI triple by Nate Gray with two outs in the sixth, he would have had a shutout.

"He had a helluva an offseason for himself," said senior shortstop Roch Cholowsky, a UCLA signee who could go in the first round the Major League Baseball Draft this summer, who had two hits. "He was putting on weight, growing. I mean he really worked in the offsesaon and it showed this season.

"He was the heart and soul of this team."

Lettow was locked into a pitcher's duel with the right-hander Gray, who allowed an unearned run in the first on a two-out error and didn't allow another run until catcher Liam Wilson came inches from a home run, hitting the top of the fence in left-field for a run-scoring triple in the fourth.

Zach Wadas' line single to right scored the third run. That's all Lettow would need, even though Queen Creek (28-7) made it interesting in the seventh after freshman Tait Reynolds singled with one out.

Pinch hitter Cayden Cooper, who hit a pinch-hit grand slam in the sixth inning of the 6-5 elimination semifinal win over Basha, then walked.

With a large crowd standing and getting louder, Woods visited Lettow, who then retired the next two batters to end the suspense.

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"I felt great," Lettow said. "I spotted where I needed to and made the right pitch spot. I knew I could get out of it."

Otherwise, Lettow breezed through the biggest game of his career. Queen Creek's first hit came to start the fifth, when freshman Jet Berry tripled.

But again, Lettow went right after the Bulldogs' aggressive hitters, getting a pop out to first, before striking out the next two batters, leaving Berry on third.

Gray went the distance for Queen Creek, giving up six hits, two to Cholowsky and two to center fielder in the game and three in the fourth inning.

"Mr. Gray over there, he was tremendous," Woods said. "He was spotting that fastball on the outside corner, doing a great job. He did a super job keeping us at bay. But going back to that (fourth) inning, Liam did what he's been doing the whole second half of the season. He's had a great approach.

"We're a veteran group. There wasn't any panic. Maybe the last hitter."

When Waite grounded to second baseman Cooper Brass, all Lettow could think was, "Don't make a bad throw.

It was perfect throw to Wadas at first, and Hamilton could bask again the glory of finishing another baseball season on top. Hamilton, ranked 18th nationally by MaxPreps and ninth by Baseball America, won its last seven games and went 5-0 in the double-elimination tournament.

For Wilson, a junior, he now has two state titles, after his older brother Tyler, who now plays for Grand Canyon University, was denied going for a championship his senior year in 2020 because COVID-19 wiped that season out.

"We kind of compare," Liam said. "I say, 'My team's better.' He says, 'No, my team's better.' It's all fun and love."

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert atrichard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter@azc_obert

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Hamilton captures 9th 6A state baseball title in pitcher's duel