Moments before St. John’s came to the plate in the first inning of Sunday’s District of Columbia State Athletic Association state title game, the Cadets formed a circle near their dugout and made clear their primary objective for the afternoon.

“Hits!” the Cadets shouted in unison, a chant they repeated before each inning against Georgetown Visitation Sunday at the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy. St. John’s fulfilled that objective in a commanding 11-1 victory, totaling 18 hits as they defended their DCSAA title.