Wallkill baseball coach T.D. Mills had to be coaxed into joining his players in the team photo following the Panthers’ historic 2-1 victory over previously undefeated Spackenkill in the Mid-Hudson Athletic League championship game May 17 at Cantine Field in Saugerties.

While Mills didn’t want to encroach on his players’ shining moment, he was rightfully proud of what they had accomplished.

It was the first MHAL title in Mills’ 14 years at the helm and the first in school history, according to the veteran coach.

The Panthers stifled Spackenkill (18-1) with six innings of no-hit ball from starting pitcher Kyle DeGroat, who had 12 strikeouts and left the game with a 2-0 lead.

Then big brother Bryce DeGroat came in and got the save. Though he gave up one hit and a run in the top of the seventh, DeGroat whiffed the last two Spartans to set off a wild Wallkill celebration near the pitcher’s mound.

“Pitching has been carrying us all year,” Mills said. “We have eight guys that can do what you saw on the field today.”

Kyle DeGroat showed early that he possessed a blazing fastball. He whiffed the first two batters and had at least two strikeouts in five of the six innings he pitched.

Spackenkill lefty starter Andrew Speranza matched DeGroat pitch for pitch through four scoreless innings. Speranza had 10 strikeouts in the first four frames.

“I just knew how much was on the line in this game and I knew that they had their ace on the mound and I had to do my thing if I wanted to keep us in the game,” Kyle DeGroat said. “I was on today. My fastball was working and my curveball came in clutch when I needed it. The energy was there and I felt awesome out there.”

The Panthers finally broke through with two runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 2-0 lead.

Following a one-out walk to Kyle DeGroat, James Lee ripped a double just past the third base bag to advance DeGroat to third. Jack Rauschenbach then delivered the big hit with a two-run double over the left fielder’s head.

Spackenkill loaded the bases with three walks in the top of the sixth, but Kyle DeGroat whiffed Sean Lucas with a rising fastball to escape the jam.

DeGroat said he knew Lucas was going to be his last batter.

“I reached my pitch count with that batter,” DeGroat said. “Coach (Mills) told me this is your last guy and you got to get him. I said, ‘Coach, I’ll strike this guy out. I got you.’”

Rauschenbach said the Panthers were itching to finally win a MHAL championship.

“It feels amazing,” he said. “First one in school history. We knew what was at stake. We came in here confident and did what we had to do. Got it done.”

Wallkill advanced to the MHAL championship game with an 11-2 win over Marlboro in the semifinals. Spackenkill beat Dover 3-0 in the other semifinal game to earn the right to face Wallkill.

The Panthers (15-4) were beaten 20-10 by Kingston in their regular-season finale two days after clinching the MHAL title. Wallkill earned the top seed in the Section 9 Class A playoffs and will face either No. 4 Beacon or No. 5 Goshen at 4 p.m. Wednesday in the semifinal round at Wallkill.

Rauschenbach is hoping to follow up the MHAL title with a Class A championship.

“That would top off my senior year,” he said. “We’re aiming for that and after that we’ll see how far it goes.”