Destrehan’s caught fire – and there’s no better time for it.
The No. 14 seeded Wildcats traveled to No. 6 Benton and swept the Tigers in the Division I non-select quarterfinals, earning back-to-back wins by the same 4-2 score to win the best-of-three series and advance to the state semifinals.
Destrehan (29-12) will face No. 2 Sam Houston (30-8) in the semifinal round. Sam Houston advanced by sweeping No. 7 Walker in the quarterfinals, 2-0 and 9-4. The semifinals and finals will be contested at McMurry Park in Sulphur.
It’s the first time Destrehan has reached the state semifinals since 2005 – which doubles as the last time the Wildcats reached the state championship game. Destrehan will try to match that feat when it takes on Sam Houston.
DHS has won its last six games after losing the opener of its first round series with Fontainebleau.
The Wildcats earned the clinching win Saturday by doing its offensive work early, scoring four runs within the first three innings, including a three-run second inning.
That got started with a double by Brady Carter. Jaden Sloan bunted for a single and reached second on an error – Carter would score on the play to tie the game 1-1. Josh Muller walked and then Chase Mire – fresh off a strong pitching performance in the series opener – doubled to center field and brought Sloan home for a 2-1 Wildcats lead. That became 3-1 on Chase Marcotte’s RBI single that scored Bryson Gabler.
In the third inning, it was again Carter starting it off, this time with a two-out single. Sloan drove him in on a single to right, making it 4-1.
The score held until the top of the sixth inning when Case Jordan doubled home Kannon Greer, who singled with two outs in the previous at-bat.
But that was the last push for Benton (29-8-2). Marcotte took the mound in the seventh and shut the door, sealing the win for Destrehan.
Josh Muller started and went 5.2 innings to earn the win on the mound for Destrehan. He allowed two earned runs on six hits and four walks and struck out one. Marcotte went 1.1 innings and allowed no runs on two hits while striking out one for the save.
Carter and Sloan had strong days, each collecting two hits. Carter scored twice and Sloan once with an RBI. Carter and Mire each doubled. DJ Adams and Sloan each stole bases.
Cole Snell took the loss for Benton, going the complete game and allowing four runs on eight hits. He walked three and struck out three.
GAME 1 – Chase Mire went 5.2 innings while striking out six to earn the win on the mound for Destrehan, which scored four runs in the top of the sixth inning to take the lead for good in the series opener Thursday.
Destrehan got rolling in the sixth on a Marcotte single. Landyn Dugas walked, then Champ White was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs.
Control issues continued to hurt the Tigers, as Derek Lucas was hit by a pitch to force home the first run of the game, giving Destrehan a 1-0 lead.
Bryson Gates struck out two straight batters to nearly get his team out the jam, but Sloan doubled to clear the bases and put Destrehan ahead 4-0.
An RBI triple by Jordan and a sacrifice fly by Cole Snell in the bottom of the sixth cut the lead in half, but just as he did a day later Marcotte shut the door in the seventh for the save, recording strikeouts for all three outs.
Mire allowed two earned runs on four hits and two walks, striking out six. Marcotte pitched 1.1 hitless innings with three strikeouts.
Bud Burns took the loss, going five innings and allowing four earned runs on two hits and three walks, striking out six. Gates and Beckett Moore pitched two scoreless innings of relief.
