Quick strike

VILLE PLATTE – The No. 8 Sacred Heart Trojans used a quick strike offense to blow past the No. 9 St. Edmund Blue Jays 13-1 in the regional round of the Division IV baseball playoff Saturday afternoon.
Sacred Heart picked up nine runs in the first three innings before St. Ed’s could even blink an eye. The Trojans finished off the Blue Jays with a strong pitching performance from Cannon Beaver and a solid defense that turned two double plays on the day.
“I told the coaches on Wednesday that I had not seen us swing the bats the way we are now,” said head coach Gary Ashworth after the game. “The approach at the plate is so good right now. It is all about playing your best baseball at the right time. And we are doing that right now.”
With the win, Sacred Heart advances on to the quarterfinals to face Ouachita Christian, the No. 1 team in Division IV. Game one of the three game series is scheduled to take place tomorrow at 5 p.m. Game two is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday, while the if necessary game will take place at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Sacred Heart put the nail in the proverbial coffin right out of the gate, scoring four runs in the top of the first inning. Wesley Launey drew the lead-off walk and moved to second base on a perfect sacrifice bunt by JT Harper. Catcher Garrett Fontenot singled, bringing Launey to the plate. Nick Perry entered the game as a courtesy runner for Fontenot.
With one out, Christian Duplechin walked, putting runners at first and second. Gabe Fontenot singled home Perry, moving Duplechin to second base. Drew Bordelon was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Connor Bordelon delivered the final blow of the inning, singling to left-center field allowing Gabe Fontenot to touch home plate.
After blanking St. Ed’s in the bottom of the first, the Trojans went back to work on offense in the top of the second. Launey reached base in the lead-off spot for the second time in as many innings, this time following a hit by pitch. A fly out to center field kept Launey at first base.
An error by the Blue Jay defense allowed Launey to reach second and Garrett Fontenot to take first base. Duplechin singled to left-center field to fill up the bags for the second time in the game.
Gabe Fontenot’s hard hit ground ball created another error by the St. Ed’s defense, pushing both Launey and Perry, courtesy running once again, across the plate and putting Duplechin at third base. Drew Bordelon drove a deep fly ball to center field allowing Duplechin to tag up and reach the plate. With that final run of the at bat, Sacred Heart now owned a 7-0 lead.
St. Ed’s got a runner to first base in the bottom of the second when Dawson Ardoin was hit by a pitch with one out. However, the Trojan defense did not let the momentum get started as they were able to turn the 6-4-3 double play.
Sacred Heart added two more runs in the top of the third to extend their lead to 9-0. The Blue Jays finally put up a run on the board in the bottom of the third, when Wesley Driggs, courtesy running for Ian Dupre, toed home plate after an error, a passed ball and two ground outs.
The Trojans countered that run by St. Ed’s with a solo run of their own in the top of the fourth. Gabe Fontenot singled, advanced to second on a fielder’s choice and scored on a double by Connor Bordelon.
Sacred Heart finished out the game by plating three more runs in the top of the fifth. In that at bat, Launey, Harper and Perry all crossed home plate.
Garrett Fontenot, Gabe Fontenot and Connor Bordelon were all 2 for 4 at the plate to lead the Sacred Heart offense. Beaver threw a complete game, allowing only one run on two hits while striking out two and walking none.
“Going into this weekend against Ouachita Christian, I feel fine offensively,” said Ashworth. “I think it is going to come down to who dosen’t give up the big inning with walks and errors. They are going to get theirs and we are going to get ours.”