DES MOINES — Calvin Mathews has thrown his fair share of third strikes this summer.

Number 158, however, was his most memorable one to date.

It just might take Mathews a little time to develop that memory.

“I really don’t even remember right now what that final strike was like,” Mathews said “I was down on the ground trying to get some air.”

Mathews found himself quickly swarmed by the rest of his Mustang teammates after delivering the final pitch of the high school baseball season past the swing of Gilbert left fielder Jordan Knock. It was the final strike in the first-ever championship season for the Davis County baseball program.

The strikeout pitch clinched the Mustangs’ 2-0 victory in the Class 2A state title game on Saturday, sending hundreds of maroon-clad fans into a frenzy at Principal Park in Des Moines. It was a noise that could be heard all the way out in the parking lot, but not by the young man who delivered that celebratory moment in the middle of the field.

“I couldn’t really hear the crowd. I was too busy yelling myself,” Mathews said.

It was a fitting conclusion to Davis County’s championship season. Mathews, the state’s strikeout leader, came up with his final four Ks after he came to the mound to make a rare relief appearance.

Each of those final four strikeouts were very necessary. Mathews came on in relief of fellow junior Josh Martsching, who had thrown more than five solid innings of shutout baseball, but left with the bases loaded in the sixth.

Mathews not only had to deal with the tying run in scoring position in the sixth, but gave up a lead-off double in the seventh that allowed Gilbert to bring the tying run to the plate. Even in those pressure-packed moments, Mathews didn’t feel any pressure on the hill.

“I felt like I couldn’t even feel my whole body,” Mathews said. “My arm was just numb, but I just pumped some fastballs in there and got out of the inning.”

While it was Mathews who closed the show, it was a stellar start by Martsching — and a couple of key two-out first-inning hits — that set the table for the Mustangs’ championship victory. The start was just the second of this postseason for Martsching, who took the hill at Principal Park last year in Davis County’s eight-inning semifinal loss to Carroll Kuemper.

“When I took the loss last year, I was really down,” Martsching said. “This year, it was absolutely amazing.”

Martsching didn’t allow a base runner through three innings and tossed a one-hit shutout with eight strikeouts into the sixth. His final strikeout of the day in the fifth allowed Martsching to join Mathews in throwing 100 strikeouts this season.

“Josh did an outstanding job. He was going along real well and did an outstanding job to put us in that position,” Davis County head coach Todd White said. “It was really a total team effort.”

Martsching scored the first of two first-inning runs for the Mustangs, which proved to be enough. Once again, new heroes stepped up at the plate to put Davis County (33-4) ahead, as senior Nic Johnson nailed a two-out grounder into left field for an RBI single to score Martsching ahead of a Jacob Davidson’s RBI hit.

“As a senior, I knew I had to get that guy around to score,” Johnson said of his big hit. “I wasn’t nervous. I was relaxed and had fun up there.”

Johnson was one of the Mustangs who fell short of a title in their first state tournament appearance last year. That experience ultimately paid off in a championship in Davis County’s return to Des Moines this season.

“None of us had ever known anything like this, but we were much more seasoned, much more experienced,” Johnson said. “After the way last year ended, the one thing we wanted to do was win state. That’s the one thing we wanted, and we got it.”

“We can’t send the seniors out any better than this,” White added. “It was their last hurrah and they’re able to be state champions.”

The championship didn’t come easily, however, as Martsching ran into trouble in the sixth. With Davis County still only up 2-0, Gilbert (28-9) put together its best rally of the day as Knock, Joe Goodman and Walter Day all singled to load the bases with one out.

That ended the day on the hill for Martsching, who was more than happy to hand the ball over to Mathews.

“I felt great all game, but I wouldn’t want it any other way than to have Calvin come in to close it,” Martsching said. “He got us here and he should be the one to finish it off.”

“My adrenaline was pumping, that’s for sure,” Mathews said. “I got out there and felt like I could throw some heat.”

After coaxing a groundball to third that forced a runner out at home, Mathews battled Tiger clean-up hitter Isaac Maffett deep into a two-out count. With the game on the line, the Iowa Hawkeye recruit readied for a big 2-2 pitch that was called strike three to end the threat.

“It just went through my head that this guy was going to get the fastest fastball I’ve ever thrown in my life,” Mathews said.

A record crowd turned out for the Saturday afternoon championship session. No fans made more noise throughout the day than the Davis County faithful, something that has been a common trend this summer.

“That’s been outstanding all year. It just carried over to state,” White said. “That atmosphere late in the game certainly sent a few goose bumps down me. The kids certainly feed off it. It’s special for everyone.”

The Mustang fans embraced the state title even before the players and coaches.

“It hasn’t totally set in yet,” White said. “We’re just going to give it a little time to set in, but I’m pretty excited.”

Winning a state title is something every high school athlete dreams about. On Saturday, Mathews literally made his dream come true.

“I had a dream on (Friday) night that we won the state title. I’m not sure if reality matches the dream. It just hasn’t set in yet.”

Davis County 2, Gilbert 0

DC  200  000    0    —    2    8    0       

GIL 000  000    0    —    0    5    2

Davis County battery — Josh Martsching (W, 9-2) (5 1/3IP, 0R, 0ER, 4H, 8K, 0BB), Calvin Mathews (S, 2) (2/3IP, 0R, 0ER, 1H, 4K, 0BB), Kyle Graves catching.

Hits — Clint Foster 2-3, Nic Johnson 2-4, Austin Roberts 1-2, Jacob Davidson 1-3, Graves 1-3, Martsching 1-3.

RBI — Davidson, Johnson.

Runs — Martsching, Park Mickels.

Gilbert battery — Mack Boothe (L) (2/3IP, 2H, 2R, 2ER, 2K, 1BB, 1HBP), Joe Goodman (6 1/3IP, 0R, 0ER, 6H, 8K, 1BB), Isaac Maffett catching.

2B — Brian Schneider.

Hits — Goodman 2-3, Walker Day 1-3, Jordan Knock 1-3, Schneider 1-3.