LOUISVILLE — A big performance by Nanih Waiya junior pitcher Luke Rosamond, and a big third inning for the Warriors were enough to end Cathedral School’s hopes for a state championship Monday.

The Green Wave dropped the deciding game of the three-game set 6-2 Monday afternoon.

The Game 3 victory allowed Nanih Waiya (23-7) to win the MHSAA Class 1A South State Championship two games to one and move on to the State Championship series against North State champion St. Joseph of Greenville. That series will take place at Smith Wills Stadium in Jackson with Game 1 on Wednesday at 1 p.m.

For Region 7-1A champion Cathedral, which finished at 17-9, it was a bittersweet ending to a season that got off to a tough start before the Green Wave turned things around.

“I’m proud of the way they played this season. We were 5-6 at one point this season,” Cathedral head coach Craig Beesley said.

The Green Wave jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Caleb Upton singled and that was followed by a single by Blake Martin. Both runners scored on back-to-back errors by Warriors shortstop Hunter Swart.

Martin got the start for Cathedral and was quite effective for two and two-thirds innings. Then he had a hard time getting the final out of the inning and Nanih Waiya took advantage by scoring four runs on four hits and an error to take the lead for good at 4-2.

“If we could’ve got out of that inning with a two-run lead, we would’ve been alright,” Beesley said. “We just couldn’t get the third out. That kind of put us behind because we had a hard time swinging the bats.”

After the first inning, Cathedral had just two hits the rest of the game against winning pitcher Rosamond, who went the distance and allowed no earned runs, walked none and struck out six. All four hits he gave up were singles. After Swart’s miscues to start the game, the Warriors didn’t commit a single error.

Martin was charged with the loss as he went four-plus innings and gave up six runs, four of them earned, on eight hits with three strikeouts. Martin was relieved by Upton with two on an nobody out in the bottom of the fifth. Those runners came in to score to give the Warriors a 6-2 lead. Upton gave up three hits in three innings.

“I thought (Martin and Upton) did a great job. They gave us a chance,” Beesley said. “The thing that let us down today and (last) Thursday was the bats. That’s what let us down. Rosamond had a good curveball.”

Martin was the only multiple hitter for Cathedral as he went 2-for-3. Colby Eaves homered while Brandon Rigdon and Zach Hannh each went 2-for-3 with a double to lead Nanih Waiya’s offense.