By Kyle Roberts
Explosive first inning puts ‘Cats in driver’s seat
RUSTON — No. 13 Ruston High (23-12) wasted little time setting the tone Friday night, exploding for 10 runs in the first inning and rolling past No. 20 New Iberia 13-3 in Game 1 of its opening-round playoff series.
The Bearcats pounded out 15 hits and used aggressive baserunning throughout the night, stealing eight bases while putting constant pressure on the Yellowjackets.
Junior Sam Hartwell led the offensive barrage, going 3-for-4 with three hits and driving in key runs. Hartwell doubled home two runs during Ruston’s massive first inning, then added singles in both the opening frame and third inning.
Junior Hudson Wood also doubled in a run during the first inning, while Lander Smith delivered a two-run single. Senior Jackson Lee added a sacrifice fly, junior JP Moak singled in a run and senior Nolan Parnell capped the inning with an RBI double as Ruston built a commanding 10-1 advantage.
Ruston coach Bryan Beck said the Bearcats believed a fast start could be critical against a visiting team making the long trip north.
“We talked about in our scout report meeting. We felt like we could jump out on these guys,” Beck said. “They’re traveling up here and hadn’t been in this atmosphere in a while. We felt really good about putting some runs up.
“We didn’t know it’d end up being a 10 spot, but in high school baseball, when you put up 10 in an inning, it deflates the other team pretty quick.”
New Iberia answered with a run in the top of the first on an RBI single by Nathan Leblanc, but Ruston stayed in control the rest of the night.
Parnell added another RBI double in the third inning as the Bearcats extended the lead to 11-3.
Junior Tyler Roach earned the win on the mound for Ruston, working five innings while allowing four hits and three runs, only one earned. The right-hander struck out eight and walked three.
“I thought Tyler didn’t have his best stuff tonight. He was amped up at first,” Beck said. “But he fought through his outing to stay in the ball game. You’ve got to do that sometimes as a pitcher. It’s not just perfect every time.
“I’m really proud of the way our kids responded.”
Senior Kenden Freeman, Hartwell and Parnell each finished with three hits for Ruston, while Moak and Wood added multi-hit games. Sophomore Dalen Powell stole two bases as the Bearcats repeatedly showcased aggressiveness on the base paths.
“If we can steal on the battery, that’s what we’re going to do,” Beck said. “It puts a lot of pressure on high school pitchers and teams and coaches and everybody else.”
Ruston can clinch the best-of-three series Saturday in New Iberia and avoid a deciding Game 3 should the Bearcats get the game two win scheduled for 11 a.m. tomorrow morning.
“We need to enjoy this, but we don’t need to drag this out tomorrow,” Beck said. “We want to win. We want to play with the mindset that tomorrow is a one-game playoff and be done with it.”
Late Homer Lifts Natchitoches Central Past Ruston in Extra-Inning Thriller
NATCHITOCHES, La. (AP) — No. 26 Ruston High (13-15) saw a hard-fought road playoff game slip away Friday as No. 7 Natchitoches Central rallied for an 8-6 walk-off victory in eight innings despite the Lady Bearcats collecting over a dozen hits.
Trailing 6-5 entering the bottom of the eighth, Natchitoches Central got the final swing it needed when Maggie Massia launched a three-run home run to center field, ending the game and handing the Lady Bearcats a tough loss.
Ruston appeared poised to steal the win after senior Akeriah Jones crushed her third home run of the night in the top of the eighth, a solo shot to left field that gave the Lady Bearcats a 6-5 advantage.
Jones turned in a monster performance at the plate, going 4-for-4 with three home runs, three RBIs and three runs scored. She homered in the third, fifth and eighth innings to lead Ruston’s 15-hit attack.
Ruston struck first in the opening inning when freshman Mackenzie Roach connected on a solo homer to left field for a 1-0 lead.
Natchitoches Central answered in the third inning. After Jones tied the game with her first homer of the night in the top half, Sarah Beth Terrell responded with a home run to center field in the bottom of the inning to put the Lady Chiefs ahead 3-2.
Ruston regained momentum in the fifth. Jones blasted another solo homer and freshman Rylee Fobbs followed with an RBI single as the Lady Bearcats moved in front 5-4.
Fobbs delivered again in the seventh inning, hitting a solo homer to center field to tie the game at 5-all and eventually send the contest into extra innings.
Roach started in the circle for Ruston, allowing five runs on five hits over four innings while walking five. Natchitoches Central starter Ehren Guidroz worked 4 1/3 innings, allowing 10 hits and four runs while striking out seven.
Fobbs, freshman Jaleigh Martin and sophomore Z Jones each had multiple hits for Ruston.
Massia and Terrell drove in three runs apiece for Natchitoches Central, while Terrell added two hits. The Lady Chiefs also showed patience at the plate, drawing six walks and playing error-free defense.
Despite the loss, Ruston’s offense showed punch, finishing with 15 hits in one of its most competitive outings of the season.
