Staff report
Choudrant’s top-ranked Aggies grounded Holden’s Rockets Monday evening in the regional round of the LHSAA Class B baseball playoffs, winning their 27th consecutive game and earning a quarterfinal contest at home later this week.
Ruston High golfer Reeves Pullin shot one-under Monday in the first round at the state Division I golf championships but is five shots off the lead entering today’s final round. Cedar Creek’s Grey Worthy and Hayden McCluskey will wrap up their Division I state tournament action today.
With state track and field team titles and individual crowns on the line later this week, the Cedar Creek girls, Simsboro boys and girls and Ruston boys and girls are strong contenders for team trophies.
CHOUDRANT BASEBALL: The Aggies set the tone immediately with three runs in the bottom of the first inning, added a couple in the second and another in the third. Meanwhile, Braden Jones held Holden hitless in his four innings and the Rockets managed just one single the rest of the way against Brandon Carter as Choudrant posted a solid 6-1 victory.
Jones fanned five and Carter added four Ks on the bump for the Aggies (29-3). Holden (15-11), the 16th seed in the 32-team bracket, singled in a run in the fifth inning but Carter picked off the hitter at first to end the frame and set down the Rockets in order in the final two innings.
Landon Hennen led off the Aggies’ first with a base hit, one of his three, and scored on a two-run double by Carter, who also had three hits. Eli Watson drove in Carter for a 3-0 advantage.
Hennen singled again in the second and scored on an RBI grounder by Jones, then Carter singled in a run to make it 5-0. Hennen’s third single, with two out in the third, moved CHS up 6-0.
Carter’s three RBI led the Aggies, who had eight hits.
CHS Coach Tony Antley’s club will host eighth-seeded Fairview in the quarterfinal round later this week, likely Thursday or Friday. The Aggies are aiming for their fifth state title (1996, 2002, 2005, 2017) under Antley, who guided them to the state finals four more times (1990, 2006, 2010, 2011). They were semifinalists in 2018 and 2015.
Monday’s triumph marked the seventh time in the last 10 postseasons (there wasn’t one in 2020), the Aggies reached the quarterfinals.
They have some District 2-B company there this year. Quitman and Weston have both advanced to the Elite Eight.
RUSTON GOLF: Reeves Pullin carded a one-under 71 (36-35) Monday to stand sixth heading into today’s final round of the Allstate Sugar Bowl LHSAA Division I championships at Farm d’Allie in Carencro. St. Paul’s Griffith Dorr fired a nifty 65 (33-32) over the soggy 6,516-yard layout.
CEDAR CREEK GOLF: Grey Worthy stands 17th in the Allstate Sugar Bowl LHSAA Division IV championships in Lafayette at The Wetlands, after shooting a 90 (43-47) on the 6,348-yard course. Cougars teammate Hayden McCluskey posted a 97 (46-51). Four players are tied for the lead at 75.
LHSAA TRACK & FIELD: The Cedar Creek girls, Simsboro boys and girls, and Ruston boys and girls all are strong challengers for team championships later this week at the LHSAA state meet in Baton Rouge at LSU’s Bernie Moore Stadium.
The Lady Cougars and Lady Tigers were runner-ups at their regional meets. The Simsboro boys and both Ruston squads won their regional titles last week.
State meet qualifiers from Cedar Creek, Simsboro and Choudrant compete Thursday in the Class A and Class B championships. Ruston takes its shot at Class 5A titles Saturday.