Jacksonville State signee Sam Silas didn’t hear the Sardis fans chanting “overrated” before he came to the plate in the fourth inning of Friday’s Class 5A baseball finals.

He definitely didn’t hear them chanting after his at-bat.

Silas touched off a two-run homer – the only homer of the week in the AHSAA state baseball finals – powering Holtville to a 3-1 victory over the Lions and the school’s first state baseball championship since winning back-to-back titles in 1982 and 1983.

“I didn’t hear them chanting I guess because I was so locked in,” Silas said. “But it will definitely look good on video. God works in mysterious ways.”

Silas said he hit a hanging breaking ball on a 3-1 count. The shot went over the left-field fence in a hurry.

“It didn’t hang long,” Holtville coach Scott Tubbs said.

Silas drove in four runs in the two-game series, including the go-ahead run Thursday night in the Bulldogs’ 3-2 come-from-behind win. His MVP performance on his future college home field helped his memories of last year’s 5A championship series, which Holtville lost to Russellville.

“The way everything went down last year, I kind of had a bad image in my mind of this field,” Silas said. “After today, it is hard to put into words how exciting this is, especially with this group of guys. I’ve played with most of them my entire life. To win it like that on this field is special.”

No. 3 Sardis (30-8) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a throwing error by Silas. Holtville (28-14) tied the game when Silas was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning.

In the fourth, Randy Bridges was hit by a pitch with one out. After Sardis starter Blaze Gerhart got leadoff man Tanner Potts on a fly out to right for the second out, Silas hit the go-ahead home run.

Junior Drey Barrett pitched a complete game, scattering four hits and allowing just one unearned run. He struck out six, walked three and retired nine of the last 11 batters. Sardis had just runner reach second after the third inning.

“It’s always on my mind going into every outing to absolutely shove it,” Barrett said. “I go in with confidence and have a purpose for every pitch and trust my stuff.”

Gerhart took the loss for the Lions. He allowed eight hits and three earned runs. He struck out three and walked one. He also had one of Sardis’ four hits. Russ Wiggs, Carson Gilliilan and Bayor Garrard had the other hits.

This post will be updated