Through 11 games of the 2018 season, it’s was a roller-coaster ride for Hahnville, but the Tigers effort last weekend indicates the team is starting to gain its footing as district play looks.
Hahnville went 3-1 at the Barbe Invitational tournament, including wins over Jesuit, Evangel and Peabody. The Tigers’ lone loss at the tournament came in its opener against host Barbe.
Coupled with a win at home over Riverdale this week, the Tigers moved to 9-6 on the season.
The wins over Evangel and Jesuit each came via late-inning execution and clutch play by Hahnville, which had lost a handful of close games early this season.
“I think it’s really big and something we can build on,” Hahnville coach David Baudry said. “I really hope to continue what we did in those three games … Consistent effort time in and time out, beginning on the mound. Our four starters really settled in and done a nice job, giving us opportunity to win games, as well as some guys out the pen stepping up.”
The team’s 4-3 win over Jesuit last Saturday came down to the game’s final at-bats. Hahnville’s Cameron Galland laid down a seventh inning bunt that allowed Chipper Baudry and Hunter LeBlanc to score the game-tying and winning runs in the seventh inning.
The bunt led to a throwing error that gave LeBlanc the opportunity he needed to score. It answered a three-run sixth inning that saw Jesuit take a 3-2 lead into the final frame.
LeBlanc went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. He and Matt Champagne each had doubles. Champagne earned the win on the mound, going a complete game and allowing three earned runs on seven hits. He struck out six and walked three.
Reliever Andrew Cashman took the loss for Jesuit, which was led offensively by Alex Watermeir (2-for-2, RBI and run scored) and Zack Casebonnie (1-for-3, two RBIs).
A day earlier, it was a five-run sixth inning that turned things in Hahnville’s favor. The Tigers trailed 5-3 when Joey Saucier’s leadoff single ignited a big inning, which was highlighted by Matt Champagne’s three-run triple.
Champagne went 2-for-3, including a double and triple, with four RBIs to lead HHS. Josh Nunez went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Saucier earned the win after going six innings and allowing five runs on seven hits. He struck out three and walked three.
The Tigers earned a decisive 14-1 victory over Peabody last Thursday, snapping a four-game losing streak.
The win over Peabody saw the Tigers explode for eight runs in the third inning to all but put things away. Matt Champagne went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Josh Nunez went 2-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI, while Hunter LeBlanc and Dane Wise each drove in two runs.
Dane Wise struck out nine batters in five innings and allowed one hit on his way to the win.
The game ended after five innings because of the 10-run rule.
That win was the second of the day during a double-header, with Barbe earning a 7-2 win over the Tigers earlier in the afternoon.
Bryan La Rocca led Barbe’s offense, going 2-for-2 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. Brody Drost earned the win after pitching a complete game, allowing one earned run on four hits and striking out eight.
“We’re kind of continuing our building process,” Baudry said. “Overall, we had success this weekend … we’re kind of eliminating non-productive outs, valuing the walk and cutting down on our strikeouts.”
On Tuesday, Hahnville earned its fourth straight win when Josh Nunez walked in the game winning run in the seventh inning in a 9-8 win at home over Riverdale.
Chipper Baudry, Matt Champagne and Nunez each drove in two runs in the win. Nunez also earned the win on the mound after pitching an inning of scoreless relief.
Today kickstarts the annual Gerald Oubre Baseball Tournament, with games hosted at Hahnville and Destrehan among other sites on Thursday and Friday before all games are hosted at HHS and DHS on Saturday.
HHS and DHS will not face off at the tournament, but that truce ends Tuesday with the District 7-5A opener between the rivals.
“I know they’ve played a brutal schedule so far,” Baudry said. “They’ve played three of the four or so best teams in the state. So while their record isn’t where it usually is, they’ve been seasoning themselves. I know they’ll be ready next week.”
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