Area Prep Baseball Report for Friday, March 20
Brother Martin rallied with four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to overcome Archbishop Rummel 12-11 at Maestri Field in a showdown of unbeaten teams in District 9-5A.
It was the 10th straight win for the Crusaders.
Brody Shannon singled to right field through a drawn-in Rummel infield with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh to score Tyler Durand with the game-winning run to camp the thrilling rally.
In a wild affair, the Crusaders overcame deficits twice to overcome the Raiders. It was reminiscent of a year ago when Brother Martin overcame a 9-0 deficit to Rummel to win 11-10.
“It is a different team and year, though we have 10 players back from last year,” Brother Martin coach Jeff Lupo said. “There has to be belief that you can overcome. I thought they were resilient in the face of adversity. They didn’t quit on themselves as individuals. They continued to compete and had a belief they could win.”
Trailing 11-8, Kember Keller drew a leadoff walk from losing pitcher Brennan Ramon, the fifth Rummel pitcher used. Luke Gab singled and Brady McCluskey singled with one out to load the bases. Tyler Durand singled to center to score Keller to cut the deficit to 11-9 before Bronson Leaumont singled home Gab to make it 11-10. Colton Elliot singled home McCluskey to tie the game before Shannon delivered the game-winning hit.
“Everyone will remember Brody’s walk-off hit but that doesn’t happen if Keller, Gavin, McCluskey, Durand, Leaumont and Elliot did not come through,” Lupo said. “They had competitive, unselfish at-bats. It was a team effort and it took everyone. I was really proud of that.”
Durand had four hits and drove in two runs, Brody Shannon had two wins and drove in three runs and Gab had three hits and an RBI. McCluskey added two hits and scored three runs.
Gavin Jeanfreau, the fourth pitcher of the game for Brother Martin, picked up the win. Jeanfreau pitched one and a third scoreless innings.
Joel Morange had a home run, triple and single and drove in two runs for the Raiders while Tyler Fourmaux had two hits and three RBI. Bryce Hingle had a two-run double, Ben Heard had a two-run single and Beau Stevens had two hits and an RBI for Rummel.
“We have been very complimentary as a team,” Lupo said. “Our hitters pick our pitchers up. Our pitchers pick our hitters up. Our defense picks both up. We play the short game. We play the full game. We know they will come back hard at us Saturday.”
Brother Martin (22-2, 5-0) and Rummel (16-5, 4-1) will meet in the second game of the series Saturday at 2:30 p.m. You can watch it live at CrescentCitySports.com and listen to it on 106.7 The Ticket.
In another dramatic District 9-5A game, Jesuit rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to edge John Curtis Christian 4-3 to remain unbeaten in league play and tied with Brother Martin for the district lead.
Michael Brothers capped the rally with an RBI single, scoring Benjamin Neff to give the Blue Jays a dramatic win.
Jackson Dugan started the winning rally with a double before Griffin Jeandron had a bunt single. Austin Guedry walked and Joe Bosco drove home Dugan with a fielder’s choice ground out to make it 3-2. Jace Delatte tied the game with a bunt single, scoring Jeandron to make it 3-3.
Harper Oncale got the win in relief. Mase Martin started for Jesuit and pitched five innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts.
The Patriots took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth and made it 2-0 in the top of the sixth.
Derek Delatte cut the deficit to 2-1 with an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning but John Curtis got the run back in the top of the seventh to make it 3-1.
Brilliant sophomore Paul Dufrene looked the part for the Patriots. Dufrene did not allow a hit through five innings before the Blue Jays finally got to him. Dufrene went six and a third innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on three hits to take the loss. Dufrene walked four and struck out four. Mason LeBlanc yielded the game-winning hit for Jesuit.
Connor Micheu had a hit and two RBI while Kolston Martinez had two hits and an RBI for John Curtis. London Padgett had two hits, including a double.
Jesuit (18-4, 5-0) and John Curtis (16-5, 1-4) will meet again Saturday at 1 p.m. at Harahan Playground.
St. Augustine blanked Karr 4-0 at Wesley Barrow Stadium.
The Purple Knights scored a run in the bottom of the first inning and added three runs in the fourth inning.
Kellen Thompson Jr. pitched a complete game 3-hitter. Thompson walked just one and struck out nine, using just 81 pitches to get the win.
Dylan Robinson tripled, singled and drove in a run while Brayden Stewart had two hits and scored a run for the Purple Knights. Maddox Casbon and Ryan Sims Jr. each added an RBI.
St. Augustine (11-11, 1-4) will host two-time defending state champion Catholic of Baton Rouge today at 5 p.m. at Wesley Barrow.
Karr (2-19, 0-5) will face the second game of the series with the Purple Knights Saturday.
Area Prep Baseball Results from Thursday, March 19
Assumption 8, Morgan City 4
Belle Chasse 10, Ponchatoula 2
Berwick 12, Central Lafourche 1
Bogalusa 9, Albany 8
Bonnabel 5, West St. John 1
Brother Martin 12, Archbishop Rummel 11
Carver 18, Abramson 17
Central Catholic 14, Centerville 1
Country Day 15, John F. Kennedy 0
Douglass 11, NOMMA 9
Doyle 21, Springfield 7
E.D. White 5, South Lafourche 1
Ellender 14, South Terrebonne 4
Fisher 10, East St. John 0
H.L. Bourgeois 16, Patterson 6
Houma Christian 3, Loreauville 2
Jesuit 4, John Curtis Christian 3
Kentwood 16, Varnado 7 (Game one)
Kentwood 1, Varnado 0 (Game two)
Kentwood 16, Varnado 9
Mandeville 16, Covington 6
McDonogh (35) 20, McMain 0
Newman 18, Ben Franklin 2
Northshore 24, Salmen 0
Pearl River 4, Franklinton 1
Pine 5, Jewel Sumner 3
Slidell 5, Fontainebleau 4
South Terrebonne 14, Ellender 4
St. Augustine 4, Karr 0
St. Charles Catholic 12, Kenner Discovery 0
St. Martin’s Episcopal 7, De La Salle 1
St. Paul’s 14, Hammond 3
Vandebilt Catholic 11, Lutcher 10
Willow 2, Archbishop Shaw 1