Holding off the sting

Giants defeat Bees in Dixie Youth action
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By: TRACEY JAGNEAUX
Sports Editor

VILLE PLATTE -- Apparently Giants are not allergic to Bee stings.
At least not in Dixie Youth Baseball.
That’s exactly what the 10U Giants proved this past Friday night as they held off the late charging Bees in a 10-5 win at the Ville Platte/Evangeline Parish Recreational Complex.
The Bees were able to hit the Giants with the first sting of the afternoon, as they picked up a single run in their first at bat of the contest.
Lead-off hitter Trooper Green walked and moved to second base on a wild pitch. Following another walk, this time issued to Andre Morein, Green motored around to home plate on a fielder’s choice off of the bat of Gage Berard.
Giants’ starting pitcher Leo Lahaye squelched the momentum the Bees gathered by striking out the final two batter he faced in the inning.
The Giants responded in a big way in the bottom of the first inning. A lead off strike out was followed by a walk issued to Gus Guillory, who promptly stole second base.
Lahaye drew a walk, putting runners at first and second with one out. Both Guillory and Lahaye moved up a bag on stolen bases.
Will Chapman sent the pair of runners home on a single, giving the Giants a 2-1 lead. The throw in from the outfield got past everyone allowing Chapman to reach second base.
A fielder’s choice put Chapman at third base, where he was able to catch the Bees sleeping, stealing home plate on a throwback to the pitcher which extended the Giants advantage to 3-1. Bees’ starting hurler Berard took back control of the game before the Giants could do anymore damage.
The top of the second inning did not produce any runs for the Bees as the first inning had. Lahaye surrendered back-to-back walks and with his pitch count getting high, he was replaced by Carson Johnson on the hill.
Johnson took matters into his own hands, and with runners at second and third and no outs, he decisively struck out the next three Bees’ batters to end the threat.
The Giants went back to work on offense in the bottom of the second inning. A lead-off strike out was followed by a double from Johnson.
An ensuing single from Gus Guillory put runners at the corners for the Giants. Guillory moved to second on an uncontested stolen base and after a second strike out of the inning, both Johnson and Guillory were brought home with a double from Chapman.
Sam Blanchard walked to put runners at first and second with two outs. The pair reached the next base on double stolen bases.
Two wild pitches later, Chapman and Blanchard were at the plate scoring the fourth run of the at bat, giving the Giants a commanding 7-1 lead.
Noah Gremillion reached first base on a walk and proceeded to pick up second and third bases on wild pitches. Bentley Ardoin also drew a walk and trotted down to second after stealing the bag.
William Blanchard stroked a single into the outfield plating Gremillion and Ardoin, tacking on two more runs to the Giants’ lead. Blanchard eventually reached home on a couple of wild pitches, making it a 10-1 ballgame.
Despite being down by nine runs, the Bees did not fold the tents. In the top of the third inning, Berard opened the at bat with a single and moved to second with a stolen base. Landon Fontenot singled immediately after, putting runners on first and third.
Fontenot reached second on an uncontested stolen base. Berard touched the plate on a wild pitch, which in turn moved Fontenot to third.
Wesley Estilette drew a walk. An error by the Giants’ infield with Gage Fontenot at the plate pushed Landon Fontenot home and put Estilette at third base. Another costly error by the Giants permitted Estilette to reach the plate and put Gage Fontenot at third.
A wild pitch sent home Fontenot and cut the score to 10-5. However, the Giant pitching staff shut down the rally with three strikeouts to seal the win.