The Chesterton Trojans have won the DAC Championship after defeating Valpo by a score of 4-0. The conference championship is only the seventh in the baseball team's history with wins in 1972 (Co-champs), 77, 82, 85, 2013, and 2017 (Co-champs). Troy Barrett took the rock for Chesterton and the amped-up southpaw didn't disappoint. Barrett worked six full innings, throwing 116 pitches with 75 of those being strikes, allowed only 3 hits while walking 2 and fanning 11. The win brings Barrett's record on the hill to a perfect 10 and 0, his ERA to a ridiculous .477, and a BB/K ratio of 9/89. The Trojans got on the board first after Barrett handled the Vikings easily in the top half with a ground out and two K's. Rob Czarniecki(1-3, R, BB) reached base with a single to deep short and Barrett(1-3, R, BB, 3B) worked a 7-pitch walk. Both advanced on the Eli McClelland(1-2,) sac bunt. Caden Hackett(2-3, 2RBI), "Offensive Player of the Game," grounded out to third scoring Czarniecki who broke for home on contact breaking the goose egg on the board. Barrett put a K on it three times in the second, fanning all Valpo batters. Chesterton put two more up in the home half when Ethan Glassman(1-1, R, 2RBI, 2BB, HR(3)) hit the first pitch he saw well over the center field wall bringing in John Knight(0-2, R, K) who was hit by the pitch with two strikes on him increasing the lead to three. Valpo would get a little something going in the third frame with a leadoff walk and a single to center. Pastoret bunted the runners over, and the Vikings had two runners in scoring position with one in the wagon and the top coming to the plate. Barrett would get Gill and Jepsen out on strikeouts, swinging and looking respectively. As they say, "a player who makes a great play to end an inning usually leads off," and in this case it was Barrett who stranded two Valpo runners in scoring position. Barrett took the first pitch fastball into the gap in left center splitting the outfielders and the ball went to the wall allowing Barrett to show off his speed that got him to third with no outs. McClelland grounded sharply to third forcing Barrett to hold his ground and the throw went to first. Hackett stepped up and fought off four foul balls after taking strike one. On the seventh pitch of the AB Hackett barreled up the offering, driving it right back through the middle to plate Barrett with the fourth Trojan run. Gary Kirkland(1-3) would get a knock to put Trojans at first and second with one out. Knight went down on strikes and Glassman walked as they pitched around him and the pond was full of ducks for Nate Redman(0-3). After spoiling three good pitches Redman would pop out to the pitcher to end the Trojan threat. Chesterton would threaten again in the fifth after Hackett and McClelland started the frame with singles. Kirkland popped out in foul territory and the runners moved up on a wild pitch with Knight at the dish. Knight squared to bunt and McClelland raced to the plate for a safety squeeze. The bunt went to the first baseman who fielded it and flipped the ball with his glove to the catcher that tagged out McClelland sliding into the plate. Glassman would get pitched around again and his walk would again pack the sacks with good guys. Wyatt, the Valpo hurler, induced Redman to pop up again with the shortstop gloving this one. Things got a little interesting in the fifth with the Viking batting. After a leadoff ground out, Malloy walked and Dilley singled to right. Next hitter went down looking and McFarden grounded to Kirkland at third who threw on to first with McClelland falling to his right to snag the one hop, errant throw. The base umpire called the batter out at first base and the Trojans hustled off the field and into the dugout. Unknowingly, as the Trojans were putting away their gloves the home plate umpire overturned the call at first base after conversing with the base ump stating that McClelland didn't maintain contact with the bag as he got dirty to snag the Kirkland throw. Valpo then tried to say that a runner on second came around to score on the play but after more discussion the home plate umpire ordered the runner back to third which loaded the bases with boys in green. With bases loaded and the tying run at the plate Barrett got Reaume to pop out to deep first base in foul territory where "Defensive Player of the Game," McClelland, again made another nice play to snag the ball before it fell to the ground. In the seventh, Czarniecki(IP, 2BB, K) would take the hill in relief of Barrett to close the game out. Czarniecki got Gear to hit a routine fly ball to Redman in right and Pastoret flied to deep center where Barrett gloved it easily for the second out. Gill would work a walk after getting behind in the count and Jepsen got a free 90 as well. Czarniecki was called for a balk putting runners at second and third with two in the wagon and one draggin' and the Viking's Malloy at the plate. Czarniecki regrouped and regained his command to fan the three-hole hitter on four pitches to secure the victory and conference championship for the Trojans. The same two teams go at it again today with the game being held at Valparaiso High School with the first pitch at 4:30. RECORD: 21-5 overall; 12-1 DAC