St. Albans saved its best performance for Championship Saturday.

After surviving a pair of one-run victories earlier in the week, the Red Dragons erupted for eight runs in the first inning and never looked back in an 11-3 victory over defending state champion Ripley in the Class AAA State Championship Game.

St. Albans sent 14 batters to the plate in the opening frame, with Chance Campbell, Jonah Carte, Braxton Burke, and Gavin Comer all driving in runs as the Red Dragons built a commanding early lead.

Comer earned the win on the mound, while Brogan Samms closed out the championship effort with 2.2 innings of strong relief. Samms also reached base in all five of his plate appearances.

Campbell and Carte each drove in two runs, while Comer contributed two hits as St. Albans captured its third state championship in the last decade.

The Red Dragons finish the season at 32-6 and bring another baseball title back to St. Albans after championship runs in 2017 and 2019.