GRAND CHUTE – Marion coach Harold Franke has already decided the bottom of the seventh inning was Ethan Miller’s to pitch win or lose.

The sophomore right hander got himself in a bit of trouble, allowing Chippewa Falls McDonell Central to pull within one run and put the tying and winning runs on second and third base.

Then Miller found his command and struck out the side to bring the WIAA Division 4 state title to Marion with a 6-5 win over the Macks at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

“I was pretty nervous with those guys on second and third because any ball hit to the outfield could win the game,” Miller said. “I didn’t want to throw a pass ball, so I tried to locate the curveball, but that wasn’t working so I got all three of them with fastballs.

“In my previous innings I had kept throwing them right down the middle and they were able to hit the ball.”

Once Miller found that command with his curveball the celebration was on for the Mustangs (27-2).

“He was just struggling with his location a little bit with the curveball,” Frank said. “He’s very reliable with that pitch. It took him a batter or two to get back in sync and he was able to do that.”

It is the first state title in Marion baseball history which says something despite the history of the Mustangs, which won 16 straight to end the season.

“For a town and school that has the type of history Marion has, for this to be the first championship, I can’t even describe it to you what this means to me,” Franke said. “There’s more there than I can really say.”

The Macks (22-5) were knocking on the door and pulled within 6-5 with Robby Cooper’s double that scored Charlie Bohl who reached on an error to leadoff the inning.

After a single by Jake Bohl and a steal of second by his pinch runner Tyler Erickson, there were runners in scoring position and no outs.

“We weren’t able to get a hit or even put a ball in play to tie the game, but these guys weren’t going to quit, there is no doubt about that,” McDonell coach Wedemeyer said.

Marion did all of its damage in the third, scoring all six runs in the inning on six hits, including a triple and two doubles.

“We were able to take advantage of a pitcher that the guys were able to time out,” Franke said. “They hit the ball that inning like they hit the ball all year.”

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