A sterling pitching performance by Fontainebleau lefthander Tanner Conley on Thursday led the Bulldogs to 1-0 victory in the opening game of the best-of-three opening round Division I non-select series between the teams.
Conley hurled a complete game shutout with 11 strikeouts, allowing seven hits. Hosting Destrehan threatened with runners on second and third in the bottom of the seventh inning, but Andrew Corbett made an impressive lunging catch in foul territory to record the final out of the game and secure the victory.
“His composure, his mentality, his whole makeup on the mound, it’s not often you get a sophomore with that kind of fortitude and competitiveness. So, when he’s on the hill, we always feel like we have a chance. We did a great job on defense behind him,” said Bulldogs head coach Rickey Noland of Conley, who entered the game with an ERA just over 1 this season.
Destrehan head coach Chris Mire said Conley was as advertised.
“We knew he was really good. The key for us was to try t break his rhythm and get him uncomfortable, and I don’t know that we really did that until very late in the game,” said Mire.
14th seeded Destrehan (23-12) will host the No. 19 seed Bulldogs (20-15) today at 4:30 p.m. in need of a win to extend the series and its season. A Wildcats win would set up a final, deciding third game at Destrehan at noon Saturday.
It was an Erik Blomkalns’ fourth inning RBI single that provided the game’s only run. He drove in Rhett Fourmeaux, who tripled with one out.
But Blomkains was just as critical behind the plate defensively. The Fontainebleau catcher threw out two Destrehan runners on attempted steals to eliminate scoring threats.
“We tried to get a few things going in the running game. Credit to them, catcher puts two throws on the bag … that’s what we have to do to win, and sometimes the other team is gonna make the plays and is make the pitches and they did that,” Mire said.
Chase Marcotte gave a strong performance as well in what was a true pitcher’s duel with Conley. He went the complete game for Destrehan and allowed one run on eight hits and two walks, striking out four.
“He’s been doing it all year. I thought he gave us everything he had today,” Mire said. “I know his body’s tired. I think he was kind of on fumes at the end, but credit to him he just kept going. It’s what we’ve come to expect from him.”
Champ White led Destrehan offensively, going 2-for-3 at the plate while stealing a base. Brady Carter doubled for Destrehan.
Destrehan fought until the final at-bat, with White and Derek Lucas each hitting singles with one out. Conley struck out Larry Rodrigue, but White and Lucas executed a double-steal to set up Carter for a potential game-winner.
But Corbett was the hero for the Bulldogs, and Destrehan faces a must-win scenario today.
“We talked about staying in the moment,” Mire said. “Not thinking ahead to things we can’t control, nothing outside of the game we have to play.”
Mire said lefty Josh Muller will take the ball for game two.
“He’s been one of our top guys for the past two years and we feel good with him out there,” Mire said. “Hopefully we can get a few big hits and take some of the pressure off early.”
