Just enough

VILLE PLATTE -- It was a battle, but the Sacred Heart Trojans did just enough to squeeze past the Pine Prairie Panthers 11-10 in the opening game of the Eunice High Tournament Thursday afternoon.
Because of the amount of teams in the tournament, Sacred Heart agreed to hold the games they play on their field.
With the win Sacred Heart improves to 4-4-1 on the season. Pine Prairie falls to 2-7 on the year with the loss.
After holding Pine Prairie scoreless in the top of the first inning, Sacred Heart picked up the first two runs of the game in the bottom of the first. With one out, JT Harper singled and was driven in on a double by Garrett Fontenot.
Fontenot reached third base on a passed ball and touched home on a fielder’s choice. Panther starting pitcher Gage Strother shut down the Trojans for the rest of the inning.
Pine Prairie collected their first run of the game in the top of the second, when Nick Ortego singled, reached second on a passed ball, stole third and came home on another passed ball. The Panthers did get another runner to third base in the at bat, but Sacred Heart hurler Drew Bordelon shut down the threat by fanning the next two Panther batters.
The Trojans upped their lead in the bottom of the second, scoring three more runs. Cannon Beaver and Nick Perry stroked back-to-back singles and later scored on an error off of the bat of Wesley Launey and a sacrifice fly from Harper. Launey reached the plate on a single from Garrett Fontenot to give the Trojans a 5-1 lead.
Pine Prairie cut the Sacred Heart lead down to two in the top of the third inning. With two outs, Jordan Ardoin reached first on an error and got to second base on a single by Joel Franks. A passed ball moved both runners up one base.
Ardoin scored on a wild pitch, putting Franks at third base. After back-to-back walks were issued to Ortego and Strother, Franks scored on an error off the bat of Nathan Bordelon.
Both teams drew goose eggs in their next at bats. Sacred Heart increased their lead to 8-3 in the bottom of the fourth inning. Launey led things off by reaching second on a throwing error.
Harper drew a walk. Launey got to third base on a passed ball, setting up a first and third situation with no outs.
Fontenot singled in Launey and pushed Harper to second. Another passed ball moved both runners up. Harper came home on a sacrifice fly from Christian Duplechin that allowed Fontenot to reach third. Gabe Fontenot singled, scoring Garrett Fontenot to finish out the scoring.
The Trojans looked as if they may put the game to bed in the bottom of the sixth, as they gathered another three runs to go up 11-3. Gabe Fontenot singled and reached third on a double from Alec Gotro.
Beaver loaded the bases after getting hit by the pitch. A passed ball scored Gabe Fontenot and allowed Gotro and Beaver to take second and third respectfully.
An error by the Panther defense pushed both Fontenot and Gotro across the plate and put Nick Perry at second base. However, Pine Prairie relief pitcher, Franks, struck out the next batter to end the inning.
The Panthers were down, but were certainly not out. Pine Prairie came to the plate in the top of the seventh with the conviction of at least tying the game up.
JJ Sims was plunked by a pitch and reached first base. Ardoin moved Sims all the way to third base with a double into right-center field.
Franks singled, scoring Sims and also advanced Ardoin to third base. A sacrifice fly to left field from Ortego scored Ardoin, making it an 11-5 game.
Strother and Bordelon were both hit by a pitch, loading the bases for Peyton Ledoux. While at the plate, Franks reached home on a passed ball that also moved Strother to third and Bordelon to second.
Ledoux drew a walk, loading the bases once again. An error off of the bat of AJ Sharp plated Strother and filled the bases up one more time.
Kyler Carson drove in Bordelon and Ledoux with a single to right field, moving Sharp to second and cutting the Trojan lead to two, 11-9.
Sims was hit by a pitch, filling up the bases with Panthers. Carson was put out in a run down between third and home. Ardoin singled home Sharp to make it a one run game.
The Pine Prairie rally came to an end when Sims was caught between second and third on a fielder’s choice.