CANTON, Ohio (WLIO) — Delphos St. John's is headed to the state championship game for the first time in school history after defeating Tiffin Calvert 5-3 in the Division VII state semifinals Friday at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium.

The Blue Jays struck first in the opening inning when a passed ball allowed Tyce McClain to score. St. John's added to its lead in the fifth as Aidan Swick drove in Jackson Wiechart before Braden Lindeman followed with an RBI triple to make it 3-0.

After adding another run in the fifth, Wiechart delivered an RBI in the sixth to extend the advantage to 5-0.

"Obviously, we got one more to go to win that thing, but today's performance was great," St. John's head coach Jerry Jackson said. "You know that first run in the inning, first-inning run with the mistake they made, were able to produce a run right away, put them on their heels a little bit, and then our guys lit up the field with some good swings, and I'm so proud of their effort."

Tiffin Calvert rallied with three runs in the seventh and brought the tying run to second base, but Blue Jays ace Cameron Elwer recorded a key strikeout before St. John's secured the final out.

Jackson trusted his senior ace to finish the job.

"I told Cam, I said, 'Listen, you know you're the man. We got all the trust in you.' I told him, I said, 'You got to get this guy out, or I'm going to go to Andrew.' But, you know, he says, 'I got it, Coach. I'm gonna go get him,'" Jackson said. "So, just so proud of his effort. I mean, that guy's been working his butt off all week, and he's the dude. He wants the ball in his hand, he wants to get the job done."

Elwer finished with six strikeouts as St. John's improved to 20-7 and advanced to the Division VII state championship game with a 5-3 victory.

"We've built a great rapport over these last four years. I've played since I've been a freshman, and he stuck through it with me through it all," Elwer said. "And so, I have the ultimate utmost interest with him."

"I lost kind of my breaking ball in the fifth and sixth, but I think I found it a little bit better in seventh, and in the back of my mind I just had the will to win and just wanted to win for this community and my guys," he added.

The Blue Jays will face Leipsic in an all-West Central Ohio showdown for the Division VII state championship Saturday at 4 p.m. in Akron.

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