April 13, 2005

Hahnville comes out on top in pitching duel

Tigers', Wildcats' pitchers allow two earned runs, eight hits combined in extra inning game

By Eric LeBlanc
Sports Editor
(Photos by ERIC LEBLANC)

Pitching was the order of the day on Saturday as the Destrehan Wildcats and Hahnville Tigers faced off for the second time this season. After reaching a 1-1 stalemate at the end of seven innings, the game went into extra innings and was decided by an error and the speed of Tiger second baseman Steven Burns who scored the winning run for the Tigers.

All four pitchers in the game were dominant. Tiger starter Jordan Brown allowed only one earned run on two hits and three walks in four innings while striking out two. Destrehan starter Kyle Gardere allowed only one earned run as well on three hits and two walks while striking out two.

Then relievers Aaron Loup and Beau Jones came on and neither one of them allowed an earned run. In four innings, Loup gave up three hits and a walk while striking out five. Jones did not allow any hits, walked three and struck out seven in four innings.

Third baseman Garrett Loup collected the Tigers’ lone RBI while Burns and catcher Andrew Hickman scored Hahnville’s two runs.

Jones collected the Wildcats’ only RBI while shortstop Tyrone Wethers scored it. Wethers and right fielder Garrett Ryan were the only two hitters to record two hits in the game.

Destrehan threatened in the top of the first after Wethers led off the inning with a single and left fielder Brandon Stevens walked with two outs. But Brown struck out the last batter to end the inning.

Burns sent a ground-rule double over the center field fence in the bottom of the first, but he was the only Hahnville base runner in the first two innings.

Destrehan was the first to break through on offense in the top of the third. Wethers led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. He was then moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from catcher Jacob Long. Then Jones brought him in with a sacrifice fly to give Destrehan a 1-0 lead.

The Tigers tied it up in the bottom of the fourth when Hickman and Brown coaxed back-to-back walks to start the inning. Garrett Loup then singled, driving in Hickman’s courtesy runner Daron Friloux and tying the game at 1-1. Jones then came on in relief, picked off the runner at second and retired two of the next three batters he faced to end the threat.

The fifth and sixth innings saw just four baserunners as Aaron Loup and Jones combined for seven strikeouts in the two innings.

The Tigers’ defense saved the game in the top of the seventh. With two runners on base, Burns made a diving stop up the middle on a hard grounder by Jones that forced out a runner at second and kept a run from scoring. Then Stevens lined a shot into left field, but a great diving catch by Aramie Melancon smothered the Wildcat rally.

Jones struck out two batters in the bottom of the seventh and forced the game into extra innings.

Destrehan had a base runner in the top of the eighth after Ryan singled, but Aaron Loup struck out the next two batters and coaxed a groundout to end the inning.

Burns walked to begin the bottom of the eighth. Then Melancon bunted to move Burns to second. But an errant throw rolled down the right field line and allowed Burns to advance to third. He rounded third as Head Coach Frank Cazeaux waved him in and beat the throw to give the Tigers the game 2-1.

With the victory, Hahnville improves to 23-3 overall and 9-0 in district. With the loss, the Wildcats fall to 16-8 overall and 6-3 in district.

The Tigers will next host the H.L. Bourgeois Braves tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. The Wildcats will host the Ellender Patriots at the same time.

Eric LeBlanc can be reached at EricL@heraldguide.com or at (985) 758-2795, ext. 219.