No. 18 Destrehan was locked in an intense Division I non-select opening round playoff series at No. 15 Central-Baton Rouge that went the distance, but in the end the Wildcats saw their season come to an end as Central earned a 4-0 win in the third and deciding game.
Dylan Varner pitched a complete game shutout to earn the win, allowing five hits on the day and keeping Destrehan (22-14) from finding its offensive footing.
Chase Mire took the loss on the mound for Destrehan, allowing three runs on four hits in 3.2 innings. Benjamin LaPlace led Destrehan offensively, going 2-for-3 at the plate.
“It was a good high school baseball playoff series … it came down to who could get the timely hit, which was the deciding factor in all three games,” said Destrehan head coach Chris Mire. “Each one came down to one or two at-bats.”
He said that the Wildcats just couldn’t seem to find an opening in the defense.
“It was a game we didn’t strike out at all – it just seemed like every ball we hit was in the wrong place,” Mire said. “Chase Marcotte started the game with a really hard hit ball, line out to right. Srubar lined out to left. Will Muller hits a ball to the fence, Chase Mire came up with the bases loaded, puts a ball in the gap and they ran it down.
“Just one of those games. We kept it at 2-0 for about four innings, we were close a few times … we get the first two out in the fourth, they get a single and then just get it by our third baseman for a double. Based on how things were going, at 3-0, it made it tough. We just never could get a ball to drop when we needed to, and credit to their guy, he did a good job throwing strikes.”
Central (23-10) struck early in this one, scoring two in the first inning on RBIs by Jesse Lord and Parker Simcoe. It added runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
CHS won the first game of the series 4-1, while Destrehan fired back with a 3-1 victory in game two.
That Destrehan victory saw Josh Muller go 4.1 innings to earn the win on the mound, striking out two and walking one. He allowed one run (none earned) on four hits. Jack Conravey pitched 2.2 innings of scoreless relief.
“Game two is typically the big one,” said Mire. “So we tried to save the guys who were our two strongest down the stretch, Josh and Jack. Josh came out and very much was in control of his emotions, a guy who’s able to stay calm and throw strikes and that really allowed us to settle into the game.
“It was the one game I thought our offense had some opportunities to play our style of baseball. We were able to put some bunts down and apply some pressure. And that started with the fact Josh and Jack did a great job on the mound, putting up zeros.”
Conravey also had a quality day at the plate, doubling, scoring a run and driving in another.
The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the second when LaPlace got Destrehan started with a leadoff single. Conravey put some pressure on the defense with a bunt, resulting in an error and setting the table for Will Muller, whose RBI single made it 1-0.
Frank Harding followed up in the game’s next at-bat, driving in Conravey to push the score to 2-0.
Central scored on an error in the top of the third to make it 2-1, where the score remained until the seventh inning. Chase Mire singled to lead off and LaPlace sacrificed him to second with a bunt. That set up Conravey, who doubled in an insurance run for Destrehan.
Central broke open the first game of the series with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
The series brought to an end a Destrehan season that saw the Wildcats put together stretches of very strong ball – beginning the season 10-1 and also posting an eight-game win streak near the end of the season.
“I think the group, after that last game … we obviously wanted to go deep in the playoffs, but you could tell there was a sense of pride with this team,” said Chris Mire. “The things that we talked about doing at the beginning of the year – staying together, competing for one another, and being a team from start to finish, and I really felt like this team did that.”
In Destrehan’s roughest stretch of the season – one that saw the Wildcats drop seven of eight games – the Wildcats indeed stayed glued together.
“When things weren’t going our way, we had the opportunity to crack, and they made the choice to not let that happen,” Mire said. “As a coach, I’m extremely proud of how they stuck together. 20 years from now, you’re going to remember how your teammates fought alongside you and how you compete as a group.”
Destrehan will lose 10 seniors from this team, including seven heavy contributors. But the Wildcats played to its strong depth this season – next year’s Destrehan squad will not hurt for experience.
