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The Firestone Falcons and junior Phil McIntyre pounded Ellet for 13 runs in the first four innings and won Sunday's City Series championship playoff at Canal Park by a score of 15-10.

AKRON, Ohio – They made a dog pile in the middle of the field.

And why not?

For the first time since 2005, the Firestone Falcons had won the City Series baseball playoff championship.

Thanks in large measure to senior first baseman Lance Dokes, who ripped a triple, a double and a double in his first three at-bats, driving home five runs, the Falcons trumped Ellet 15-10 on Sunday at Canal Park.

“He’s a big, strong kid and when he runs into a fastball it goes a long way,” Firestone coach Brad Lightfoot said about Dokes.

After Ellet (9-10, 9-2) had taken an 8-6 lead through three innings, the Falcons (17-12, 10-2) plated seven runs in the top of the fourth and controlled the game the rest of the way.

“We just kept trying to score, trying to score even if it was one run per inning,” Lightfoot said. “We kept trying to put it on because we knew it wasn’t going to be enough.”

It was a warm, sunny day and the game lasted in excess of three hours. Firestone with twice as many seniors (8 to 4) appeared to stay locked in better than the Orangemen.

Ellet pitchers were charged with 10 walks.

“You really find out what kind of kids you have character wise because you are going to find out how mentally tough they are,” Ellet coach John Sarver said. “You can be in physical shape in baseball, but mental shape in baseball weighs on you like this – you’ve got no clock.”

Orangemen junior starter Bryan Staley, a lefty second-team All-City pitcher, got just one out in the top of the first inning before giving way to senior Nick Grubb.

“It was right there for me the whole day,” said Dokes, who reinjured his right shoulder on a head-first slide after his bases-loaded triple in the first inning.  “It looked like a beach ball.”

In the top of the second, Dokes belted a two-out, two-run double, which sailed over the head of center fielder Aaron Male.

“The bigger ballpark does give you a sense of security because you do have a lot of room,” Sarver said. “But, it also gives you a lot of room you have to cover and run down.”

Male gave chase several times during the contest on balls tagged by Firestone hitters..

“It’s a lot harder than it looks,” said Male when asked if he had a greater appreciation for professional outfielders.

Senior Joe Cianciola came on for Firestone starter Nathaniel Shaffer and limited the Orangemen to single runs in the fifth and sixth frames.

To combat City Series Player of the Year and the Falcons’ lead-off hitter Jordan Shaffer, Sarver shifted his defense and employed four outfielders.

“It got into Jordan’s head a little bit,” Lightfoot said.

Sarver admitted his team's pitching strategy against Shaffer was not working.

"He has hit the ball into the air most of the time and we've faced him since he was a freshman," Sarver said. "We've never done anything real special except try to change the position of where we were pitching him in the batter's box.

"So we thought why have four infielders when he's hitting the ball in the outfield?"

Lightfoot, completing his ninth season at Firestone, got the bucket of icewater dumped on his neck and back soon after the Falcons had clinched.

“It’s the best way we could have gone out,” Firestone senior third baseman Tre Turner said. “I’m thrilled – speechless.” 

First-team All-City third baseman Tyler Simcox had two singles, two triples and four RBI for the Orangemen. Ellet won the regular season City Series championship.