Hahnville High School-based Otto Candies is headed to the American Legion state baseball tournament for the fourth time in five years after clinching the Southeast Regional championship with a 5-3 victory over Holy Cross-based Ponstein’s Wednesday night.
That accomplishment comes after the team won five out of its first six games at the Southeast Regional tournament. Otto Candies looked perhaps even stronger than its 5-1 record showed, trailing for just two innings over the course of that run.
The top two teams at the regional each qualified for the state tournament, so both Otto Candies and Ponstein’s advanced.
“I think it’s huge,” Otto Candies coach David Baudry said. “It really sets you up going into the following year when your guys get experience in these kind of games in a tournament setting. It’s invaluable.”
A 6-3 victory over Peake BMW in the semifinal round helped wrap up the state tournament berth Tuesday night.
Much as it has for most of the double-elimination tourney, Otto Candies took an early lead against Peake in the tournament semifinal round. It scored two runs in the first inning after Pat Phelan tripled to lead off. Warren drove him in on a ground ball to first. Peyton Keller followed later in the inning by scoring on a wild pitch.
Peake tied things up in the fourth, but in Otto Candies’ half of the inning it took the lead again, this time for good. Once again, a leadoff triple got the team going as Peyton Keller hit one to right before scoring later on an error.
Brennan Warren and Lloyd Landry each finished the job at the plate, Warren driving in two more runs and Landry one.
“Defensively, we were very good (throughout the tournament),” Baudry said. “We got some timely hits offensively and our pitchers did a really good job. They pitched out of a few jams.”
Warren finished 1-for-3 with three RBIs. Phelan was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Josh Nunez went 2-for-3.
Matt Champagne earned the win on the mound, going 5.1 innings and allowing two runs, one earned, on two hits. He struck out three and walked two. Phelan pitched 1.2 innings of relief, allowing one unearned run on two hits.
The game was shortened from nine to seven innings due to persistent tourney weather delays.
Otto Candies previous tournament victories came against Rummel-based Deanie’s Seafood, 7-5, the Houma-area based Southland Hogs, 7-5, and Ponstein’s, 5-4.
The Ponstein’s win came in 10 innings Monday on a walkoff two-run double by Phelan. Otto Candies trailed 4-3 going into the bottom half of the inning. Phelan drove in Warren and Champagne. Keller drove in three runs to lead his team offensively.
An impressive footnote about Otto Candies tournament run is the team has done so without relying on the arm of Perrin, the team’s left-handed ace and ULL commitment, nor usual leadoff hitter Waylon LeBlanc, who has been out due to other commitments.
Perrin is batting with the team but Baudry has elected to see what he had behind his star in the rotation before next prep season, and he can’t be anything but pleased with the results. Austin Rice, Lloyd Landry, Dane Wise, Matt Champagne and David Vial have each pitched significant , strong innings at the tournament.
“Across the board, our guys have stepped up and delivered on the mound,” Baudry said. “And we’ve been giving them support.
“When you score early, it really gives your pitcher a lift. We’ve made some unbelievable catches in the outfield and the infield. Our success has been a total team effort.”
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