By LEE HILLER, Journal Sports
Six local schools participated in the first round of the LHSAA baseball playoffs with five advancing to the second round by sweeping their opponents in best-of-3 series over the weekend.
That gives Caddo-Bossier eight teams playing in the second round. Three others had a first-round bye.
In Non-Select Division I, No. 11 Parkway swept No. 22 Ponchatoula 4-2, 9-3 and No. 13 Benton eliminated No. 20 Denham Springs 1-0 (in 8 innings) and 13-1.
In Select Division I, No. 20 Byrd went to New Orleans and took out No. 13 Holy Cross with a pair of one-run wins, 5-4, 4-3.
Select Division II No. 13 Evangel defeated No. 20 McDonogh #35 on a pair or run-rule decisions 14-0, 15-0.
Loyola, the No. 15 seed in Select Division III, beat No. 18 Northlake Christian by scores of 1-0 and 8-2.
he only school that didn’t survive the first round was No. 19 Haughton, who after winning its first game of its series with No. 14 Walker 6-4 on Friday, lost both Saturday games, 12-6, 8-1.
No. 11 Parkway vs. No. 22 Ponchatoula: The Panthers took Game 1 4-2 as Colton Smith struck out 14, allowing two hits and two runs (one earned) in 6 2/3 innings. Shawn Driggers had two of Parkway’s seven hits in three at bats and drove in a run. Cole Snell, Kamron Blackshire and Sean Waits also drove in runs. Four Panthers had multiple hits in a 9-3 Game 2 win. Waits was 3-for-4 with two RBI, Snell (2-for-3), Abel Thetford had two doubles in four at bats and Trent Howard went 2-for-3 to lead the 13-hit attack.
No. 13 Benton vs. No. 20 Denham Springs: The host Tigers needed eight innings to get the 1-0 opening win. Tanner Webb got the decision by notching Denham Springs’ final out. Kade Bryant shut down the Yellow Jackets on three hits and struck out eight pitching the first 7 2/3 innings. The lone run came on a Case Jorden single to score Hayden Millen in the eighth. Game 2 was a five-inning 13-1 run-rule effort as Benton scored eight in the second inning. Hudson Brignac had a pair of hits and three RBI, while Caleb Frey and Malachi Zeigler were both 2-for-4 with two RBI. Thomas Allen allowed just two hits, one unearned run and struck out five for the win.
No. 20 Byrd vs. No. 13 Holy Cross: At New Orleans, the Yellow Jackets took Game 1 5-4 as righthander Julien Vinet went the distance. Ryan Lee was 2-for-2 with a double, Tyler Wooldridge 2-for-3 with a double and Grant Johnson had a double and two RBI. In the 4-3 clincher Wooldridge pitched six innings, allowing three runs on eight hits. Zach Wilburn scored the winning run in the fifth inning, reaching base on an infield single and later scoring on a Hunter Koos sacrifice fly.
No. 15 Loyola vs. No. 18 Northlake Christian: After winning a pitchers’ duel in Thursday’s opener, the Flyers scored seven second-inning runs on their way to an 8-2 Game 2 win on Friday night at Cicero Field. John Luke Lauve led a 12-hit attack going 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI. Will Pickett had two hits and two RBI, Murphy Tamplin doubled in a 2-for-3 night, and Camden Crossno was 2-for-4. Reagan Coyle went the distance allowing three hits, two earned runs and he struck out four.
No. 14 Walker vs. No. 19 Haughton: The Bucs played solid defense in a 6-4 opening win but 17 errors on Saturday proved to be too much to overcome in 12-6 and 8-1 losses. Brayden Stovall had a single and double and drove in a run in the first game win. JP Cormier and Landon Rolland both drove in a pair of runs. The Bucs outhit the Wildcats 11-8 in Game 2 as Stovall (2-for-5), Cormier (2-for-4) Christian Turner (2-for-4) and Braden Adams (2-for-3, 3 RBI) all had multiple hits.
Contact Lee at leeh051@hotmail.com