By LEE HILLER, Journal Sports

Tucker McCabe’s RBI single in the 10^th inning lifted Northwood to a 6-5 defeat of Evangel and give the Falcons a share of the District 1-4A baseball title Wednesday at Northwood.

McCabe’s hit scored Kendall Flournoy, who was hit by a pitch to lead off the 10^th and reached third on a sacrifice bunt.

Northwood’s win, along with North DeSoto’s 12-1 win at Minden, leaves the Falcons and Griffins at the top of the 1-4A standings at 5-1. Evangel and Minden finish tied for third at 4-2.

The Falcons’ heroics came after Evangel came up with some of its own in the sixth inning when it rallied with four runs to tie the game 5-5.

Kody Jackson started the rally with a one-out single. Parker Fulghum and Jayce Gill were both hit by pitches to load the bases. After a strikeout, Garrett Burns’  infield single scored Jackson to pull ECA within 5-2. A pair of infield errors followed that allowed the Eagles to tie the game 5-5.

McCabe led the Falcons with three RBI, one coming on a leadoff home run in the fifth inning. Cayne Little and Flournoy also had a pair of hits with Little scoring twice for Northwood (25-8).

Jackson led Evangel (16-14) at the plate, going 3-for-4 including a double, and Isaac Erickson singled and tripled.

CAPTAIN SHREVE 3, AIRLINE 1: At Airline, the Gators got the win they needed to secure a shot to play in the playoffs while the Vikings lost out on a chance to tie for the District 1-5A championship. Bryce Lopez tossed a complete-game 5-hitter, walking two and striking out seven. Senior first baseman Walker Wicklund drove in a pair of runs on a ground out in the second inning and a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning that put Shreve ahead 2-1. A Hunter Willis bunt single drove in the Gators’ third run in the fifth. Korby Harrell went 3-for-4 for Shreve (16-17, 7-7).

Airline, which entered the game tied for second in 1-5A at 9-4 and just a game behind first-place Parkway (10-3), got its only run in the first inning when Matthew Scripture tripled and scored on a wild pitch. Scripture and Caleb Hemmings both had two hits for the Vikings, who put two runners on base in the seventh inning. But a strikeout, then a caught stealing ended the threat.

Tyler Ferguson suffered the loss despite allowing just three hits in 4 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out six. Evan Wendrock relieved him and worked the final 2 2/3, allowing four hits, one walk and recording four strikeouts.

BYRD 6, NORTH CADDO 5: The Yellow Jackets got a run in the seventh inning to force extra innings and another in the ninth for the walk-off win at home in a non-district game with the Titans. Patrick Snead singled and doubled in four at bats, Dakota Futch had a double and Tyler Nichols tripled to lead Byrd (16-14).

Photo by JOHN JAMES MARSHALL

By HARRIET PROTHRO PENROD, Journal Sports

Lainee Bailey admitted to being a little fired up when she took the field for Walker’s second-round Class 5A softball playoff game at Airline Wednesday afternoon.

“When I came out, my blood was boiling from last year,” said Bailey, whose Lady Wildcats were determined to avenge last year’s quarterfinal loss to the Lady Vikings.

After opening with a four-run first inning and adding eight more runs in the fourth, No. 3-seeded Walker (30-4) walked away with a 12-0 victory in five innings to set up a quarterfinal match against the winner of No. 22 Acadiana and No. 6 Central-Baton Rouge. In addition to avenging last season’s playoff loss, the win marked the 100^th victory for Walker coach Hali Fletcher.

It was hard to tell if Bailey was talking about her blood boiling at the plate or in the circle. By the time the fifth inning was over, the senior pitcher had struck out 10 and given up just two hits and two walks. At the plate, she was 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, and 4 RBI.

“That’s pretty common for Lainee in the circle,” Fletcher said about Bailey’s double-digit strikeout performance. “We were on a mission. Our goal was to score first and play clean defense.”

In both big innings, it was Bailey who got the Wildcats going. Batting third, Bailey came up to the plate in the first inning with runners on first and second and no outs. The Southeastern Louisiana signee took the fourth pitch she saw and blasted a two-run double to get the scoring started.

Bailey got the Wildcats going again in the top of the fourth with a two-run home run that opened the floodgates. By the time the inning was over, Walker had batted around, hitting three home runs, two RBI doubles, and two singles that gave the Wildcats eight more runs.

“I came out ready to give everything,” said Bailey. “And the rest of the team had my back defensively and offensively.”

The only hits for Airline (19-13) came on a single by Elena Heng in the first inning and a double by Paige Marshall in the fourth.

The loss was especially difficult for shortstop Jina Baffuto, one of Airline’s two starting seniors.

“We had a good run,” Baffuto said of her Lady Vikings’ career. “Airline hasn’t had this good of a team (last year’s team made it to the championship game) in a long time. It sucks losing, but now I’ll open the next chapter.”

Baffuto and catcher Paris Endris have both signed to play at Louisiana Tech.

“Overall, I’m pretty satisfied with this season,” said Airline coach Brittany Smith. “We had a lot of kinks at the beginning of the season that we worked out. One of our pitchers got hurt early so we were down to one. We had a winning record and got the first-round upset (on the road against Chalmette).”

For Airline, the future looks bright. Both pitchers, Emily Rachal and Aleena Duran, started as freshmen this season. Rachel recorded five strikeouts in 4.1 innings of work on Wednesday.

“We’re young,” said Smith. “Seven of our 10 players were freshman and sophomores, two were seniors, and one was a junior.”

Photo by JOHN PENROD

JOURNAL STAFF

METAIRIE – Evangel took to the road for its Division II first-round playoff battle against Haynes Academy only to fall 14-0 in five innings at the LaSalle Sportsplex Wednesday.

The Lady Eagles got a pair of hits from Jordan Miller but that was all they could muster against Haynes’ Delaney Walker.

Madison Hooten suffered the loss despite allowing only five hits but eight errors by the Lady Eagles were too much to overcome.

Evangel finished the season 9-17.

FRANKLIN PARISH 17, NORTHWOOD 0: The Lady Falcons fell at home to the 10^th seeded Lady Patriots in three innings Wednesday. Hailey McKnight had a double for the only hit for Northwood (17-11). Franklin (17-11) was led by Courlynn Havard who got the win in the circle and had two doubles and four RBI.

By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports

In 2010, the Class 1A state baseball championships were hosted at Fair Grounds Field. St. Mary’s (Natchitoches) was playing, and as the Tigers pitcher was beginning to warm up in the bullpen behind the left field fence, the pitching coach was stunned at what he saw. And smelled.

“The stench was amazing,” the coach says. “It was like I was in a sewer while I was trying to get my pitcher ready to go. It was embarrassing.”

But what you need to know is that the St. Mary’s pitching coach had a different perspective than anybody else at Fair Grounds Field that day. You see, he was also the same person who was the starting pitcher in the second game ever played at Fair Grounds Field.

“It was so disappointing,” says Brian Ohnoutka today. “We all had so much pride in that stadium. All I could tell my pitchers was ‘One day, this stadium used to be great.’ That hit me hard.”

It’s been a long time since they were playing minor league baseball at Fair Grounds Field, but those who did still remember it well. Whether they went on to play in the major leagues or simply finished as a career minor leaguer, Shreveport and Fair Grounds Field had an impact on them.

And they had an impact on Shreveport as well. Perhaps there is no greater illustration of that impact than seeing the old pictures and hearing the old stories about how these players – mostly in their late 50s now – became “favorites” among local baseball fans.

Greg Litton was working in Pensacola when Shreveport’s independent league team was playing in town in the early 2000s. He was introduced to one of the players before the game. “Greg Litton!” the player said. “You were my favorite player when I was 10 years old!”

The impending destruction of Fair Grounds Field has brought about a sense of nostalgia from those fans, and the same feeling from those who played for the Class 2A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.

“Really? That’s so sad,” says former Captain Romy Cucjen upon getting the news. “I’m becoming emotional just thinking about it. It’s kind of overwhelming. It just shouldn’t be that way.”

“We were the first team through and we had the best stadium around and it was awesome,” Ohnoutka says. “The fans were great and we all had a great time. The beer garden was awesome. The pitchers would go down there and interact with the fans and they’d love it.”

“I had so much fun in Shreveport,” says Litton, an infielder who played for the Captains from 1986-88. “My memories of playing there are incredible. The people treated us so great, the fans were great … everywhere we went, people knew who we were. You almost felt like a big leaguer in the minor leagues.” 

Litton went on to have a six-year major league career. There is one part of playing at Fair Grounds Field that he doesn’t remember fondly.

“Honest to goodness, I played baseball in stadiums all over the country and without a doubt that was the hardest stadium to hit a baseball,” he says. “There’s not another that’s even close. I don’t what it was about that stadium. So when I heard (about the demolition), my first thought was ‘Thank God.’ I’m joking of course. Pitchers loved it, though.”

“I told this to people for years – I got to play in one of the best stadiums in the minor leagues,” Cucjen says. “It had to be in the top five. That place was awesome and it was something we were all proud of.”

Ohnoutka never made it to the major leagues. He was a second-round pick (30^th overall) in the 1985 draft out of TCU. The Houston native was 22 years old when he arrived in Shreveport and played for the Captains in 1986, 1987 and part of 1988 before being called up to Class AAA Phoenix. In 1990, he played for the Class AAA affiliates of San Diego and California before calling it a career.

“To tear it down is probably the right thing to do,” Ohnoutka says. “You can’t do anything with it now. My point is that they should have done something to revitalize it 10 of 15 years ago. It’s a lost cause now.”

He married a Shreveport native he had met while playing for the Captains and then settled in Natchitoches, where he has been a financial consultant for 25 years. His son is currently a pitcher for Northwestern State.

“We had something special,” Ohnoutka says. “That’s all you can say. It was awesome. The management did a great job promoting it the whole year.”

Litton agrees, especially in regard to management. “I played for teams all through the minors and majors and there’s only one owner I ever knew and that’s (team president) Taylor (Moore),” Litton says. “He was always around and any little thing you needed, you knew you could talk to him.”

Litton, 57, is a mortgage broker living in Pensacola. He is also a motivational speaker and has been involved in politics in the area.

“If I was going to have to be in Double-A for that long, there’s no place I’d rather done it,” he says of Shreveport and Fair Grounds Field. “I made friends there and it really couldn’t have been a better experience and a lot of that was because of the fans. Everything was incredible.”

Cucjen came to the Captains near the end of the 1986 season and played in Shreveport in ’87 and ’88. He finished his career in Class AAA in 1990 and came back to Shreveport.

“The things you always remember are the relationships,” Cucjen says. “I met a lot of people there and playing for the Captains is what brought me to Shreveport. We raised our family there. It changed the trajectory of my life for the next 20 years.”

JOURNAL STAFF

Patience has been the key for Airline senior Brianna Taylor during the 2022 outdoor track and field season.

The Lady Viking was running well during the early part of the indoor season before she was involved in an automobile accident Jan. 25.

Then, she suffered a hamstring injury while warming up for an indoor meet and was sidelined for the better part of the outdoor campaign.

“It was really difficult,” Taylor said. “I learned patience. I learned how to listen to my body. This injury said ‘you need to sit down and refocus.’ So, I did.”

Taylor returned at West Monroe’s Jack Williams Relays and outperformed her expectations by winning both the 100 (12.27) and 200 meters (26.20).

“I didn’t think I would do as well as I did,” Taylor said. “I was nervous, and when I finished the 100, I couldn’t stop shaking.”

The following week at the Buccaneer Relays, Taylor dropped to 12.19 in the 100 meters — but still won again. She also ran a leg on the Lady Vikings’ 4×200 and 4×400 meters.

She is running faster right now than she was a year ago when she won the District 1-5A championship in the 100 (12.52).

But, it’s the 200, which she also won at the District 1-5A meet a year ago, which is the favorite event for the sprinter, who has signed on to continue her career at ULM.

“I like the 200 meters better because if I make a mistake, I still have time to make adjustments,” Taylor said.

As she begins her last championship season, Taylor is grateful for the lessons the sport has taught her.

“Patience is the biggest lesson,” Taylor said. “Through everything with the pandemic my sophomore year, I’ve learned to be grateful for every race, every opportunity. You don’t know when a race might be your last.”

Taylor said that track has helped her come out of her shell.

“I really enjoy the fellowship aspect of it,” Taylor said. “I wasn’t that big on it when I started track. I had a lot of anxiety, but track has given me confidence. I’ve enjoyed my teammates and competitors because, like me, they are out there doing what they love, and doing their best.”

Last year, Taylor ran her best in both the 100 and 200 when it counted – at the LHSAA State Outdoor Meet. She had personal records in both events, running an 11.89 in the 100 and clocking a 24.83 in the 200. She finished fifth in both events.

Her road back to Baton Rouge goes through Benton and the District 1-5A Track Meet Thursday. 

Taylor is very familiar with the competition she will face, including her summer teammate on the River Cities Track Club, Byrd’s Nicole Flowers. They are tied at the top of District 1-5A rankings in the 100 meters with 12.19 bests.

In the 200 meters, Taylor, who has her work cut out for her, is ranked No. 5. Parkway’s Jillian Walton, who broke the school record in the event during the first outdoor meet of the year, is No. 1 with a 25.45. Southwood’s Rondisia Williams (25.51) will be in the mix as will Flowers (25.88) and Parkway’s Kyla Williams (25.95).

There is something else Taylor is excited about at this year’s district meet — the 400 meters.

Although she ran a 1:00 at an indoor meet in January, Thursday will be her first time running it outdoors.

“I’m ready,” Taylor said.

The Airline senior sprinter has been patient long enough.