May 7, 2005

Wildcats hammer Kennedy 27-0

By Eric LeBlanc
Sports Editor
(Photo by ERIC LEBLANC)

As one spectator joked, the turning point in the Destrehan Wildcats’ 27-0 victory over the Kennedy Cougars was when the Wildcats got off the bus.

The Wildcats led from the second batter of the game on and put the game out of hand with an 18 run third inning.

Starter Beau Jones faced nine batters and struck out eight of them to give him his eighth victory of the season. Only one batter reached base on Jones, and he was picked off three pitches later.

Aside from Jones’ three-inning rampage through the Cougar lineup, the offense was the highlight of the game. Jones was on top of that as well, going three for three with four RBIs. First baseman Lynn Matherne, center fielder Travis Wethers and designated hitter Kyle Shnowski each followed Jones with three RBIs each. Left fielder Brandon Stevens, right fielder Kyle Banford and designated hitter Travis Brignac each had two RBIs each.

The scoring started almost immediately in the first inning. Shortstop Tyrone Wethers, who was two for five with three runs scored, led off the game with a single. He then stole second and scored on a double by catcher Jacob Long. Jones then reached on an infield single while Long’s courtesy runner, Demaris Johnson sprinted to third. Johnson then scored on a wild pitch. After a strikeout, third baseman Alex Boudreaux was hit in the helmet with a pitch. He was followed by Matherne who doubled in Boudreaux and Jones’ courtesy runner Trey Watkins. Travis Wethers then grounded out and brought Matherne in to give the Wildcats an early 4-0 lead.

The first batter for the Cougars reached base in the bottom of the first. But Jones caught him as he was taking off for second and he was thrown out. Jones would follow that with eight straight strikeouts.

The Wildcats added a run in the second when Long doubled and Jones followed with an RBI single.

But the dead blow came in the third. Boudreaux led off the inning by reaching on an error. Matherne followed that with a double, driving in Boudreaux. Travis Wethers then reached on a bunt single. Shnowski followed him with an RBI single. Second baseman Kyle Gardere then reached on a fielder’s choice when the Cougars tried to get the runner at the plate but failed. That brought in Wethers to give the Wildcats a 8-0 lead. Tyrone Wethers then walked to load the bases. Long then reached on a fielder’s choice but Shnowski was out at home. Then Jones cleared the bases with a three-run triple that put the Wildcats ahead 11-0. Stevens followed with a RBI triple of his own and then scored on a wild pitch.

Boudreaux started things off all over again as he batted for the second time in the inning and was hit by a pitch again. Matherne then singled to drive in Boudreaux. And one batter later, Shnowski drove a ball deep over the right field wall for a two-run home run and a 16-0 lead. Gardere then reached on an error and scored when Tyrone Wethers bunted for a single and the Cougar defense threw the ball away. Wethers advanced to third on the play and then scored on a wild pitch. Long and Jones then coaxed back-to-back walks. Stevens then singled to center to bring in Johnson, Long’s courtesy runner. Jones’s courtesy runner Watkins would then score on a wild pitch to give the Wildcats a 20-0 lead.

Boudreaux, batting for the third time in the inning, walked and then Matherne reached on an error that scored Stevens. Travis Wethers then singled, driving in pinch runner Stephen Fischer and Matherne. That would be the end of the scoring in the inning, leaving Destrehan with a 23-0 lead.

Jones, after over half an hour of rest, then struck out the side to end the third. Then the Wildcats themselves were retired in order in the top of the fourth.

Gardere came on to pitch the bottom of the fourth. The first batter singled and stole second but Gardere retired the next three batters to end the threat.

The substitutes came on in the top of the fifth and were almost as good at scoring as the starting lineup. After a leadoff flyout, left fielder Garrett Ryan singled and Fischer walked. Pinch hitter Adam Gurry then loaded the bases as he reached on an error. After another out, Banford singled and drove in Ryan and Fischer to make the score 25-0. And the next batter, Brignac, hit a two-run triple to give the Wildcats their final score of 27-0.

Gardere then went to work in the bottom of the fifth. After an error allowed a runner to reach base and steal second, Gardere struck out the final two batters to end the game.

With the victory, the Wildcats improve their overall record to 23-9 and advance to the regional round of the state playoffs where they will host the St. Paul’s Wolves on Monday at 4 p.m.

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