On the brink

The Sacred Heart baseball team is producing football-esque final scores.
In the Trojans’ first nine games this season, Sacred Heart (6-3) has scored 113 runs which averages a robust 12.5 runs per game. The Trojans have scored 10 or more runs in seven of those games, and 17 or more runs four times, including a season-high 26 runs against Rapides at the Oak Hill Tournament last month.
So what is the key to Sacred Heart’s early-season scoring?
“We have hit the ball really well early but I credit a lot of our run scoring on base running,” Sacred Heart fifth-year baseball coach Gary Ashworth said. “That has been part of what I have tried to drive into them. We are always wanting to look for the next bag, be aggressive when the game allows it.”
Ashworth credits his lineup of mostly juniors and seniors for hitting the weight room this offseason and during the fall leading up to the season. Leading the way at the plate have been a pair of Fontenots who really took that offseason program to heart.
“Hayden Fontenot has really swung it well and he works extremely hard,” Ashworth said. “I can’t remember many days that he doesn’t stay and hit after practice.”
Ashworth added, “The biggest surprise has been Ethan Fontenot. I thought he would only help me on the mound but he has come up with clutch hits all season.”
Even though Ashworth may be pleased with the fact his Trojans can put up two touchdown worth of runs in a single game, there is still plenty of work to be done for the Sacred Heart lineup.
“Our small game is nowhere near where it needs to be successful in this division that we play in,” Ashworth said. “This level has some of the best pitchers in the state of any class or division. We have to prepare to be able to win a one-run game with what the game gives us.”
Sacred Heart’s pitching has been solid this season as the Trojans are giving up only 4.1 runs per game. That number is slightly inflated by a pair of games at the Ouachita Christian Tournament when the team surrendered 11 runs in back-to-back losses to Oak Grove and Mangham.
In six of the team’s nine games this season, Sacred Heart has given up three or less runs.
“Pitching should be this team’s strength because we have a stable full of guys who can give us quality innings,” said Ashworth, who’s team will host Beau Chene, Ouachita Christian and Kinder this weekend. “We always say the most important pitcher on our team is the one on the mound.”
Ashworth said that he and his staff are still working with finding out who will exactly make up the Trojans’ rotation for the second half of the season, and who will be coming out of the bullpen.
Whoever those arms may be, there is no doubt who their battery mate will be -- catcher Alex McElwee.
“The anchor of our pitching staff has been Alex,” Ashworth said. “We feel comfortable throwing any pitch at any time with him behind the plate. Can’t say enough about the effort he gives this team every single day.”