ณงฑซณขฑสฑแฑซธ้ฬโย As soon as the ball hit the bat, University Highโs Lane Mixon knew what he had to do.
Mixon had two strikes and there were two outs with runners on second and third in the bottom of the seventh inning. Mixon pounded a high chopper on the infield and slid into first base just ahead of the throw by Catholic-New Iberia.ย
Jaris Hamilton, who took off with the crack of the bat, scored from third, giving the second-seeded Cubs a 2-1 victory over No. 4 CHNI in one of the first games played at the LHSAA baseball tournament on Thursday at McMurry Park.
โEvery day we practice getting the bat on the ball,โ Mixon said. โWhen you put the ball in play, good things happen. As soon as my hand touched (first base) I knew we won.โ
It was an appropriate ending for the Division III select game in which both teams scratched and clawed to gain an edge. It was the first game of a best-of-three series. The teams meet again at 11 a.m. Friday with a third game at 11 a.m. Saturday if necessary.
Each team had five hits. Both teams scored a run in the second inning. Catholic-New Iberia's J.D. Hidalgo led off the top of the second with a double and advanced third on a bunt. Hidaldo scored on another bunt by Isaac Andre.
It didn't take the Cubs (28-9) to answer as Ethan Hopkins launched a solo homer in the bottom of the inning to knot the game at 1-1.
From there, U-High starter Grant Sunstrom (7-3) was efficient.ย Sunstrom, who threw just 86 pitches, struck out five and retired six in a row in the early innings.
โI was mainly attacking the hitters with heaters,โ Sunstrom said. โWe always talk about attacking guys and making them prove they can hit it before we try to get fancy and do anything else.โ
The approach was the right one in a gritty game. Catholic-New Iberia (24-12) stranded a runner in scoring position in the top of the seventh. U-High stranded runners in scoring position four times before scratching across the winning run.
Brody Mayeux (6-3) is set to start for the Cubs on Friday as U-High can clinch its second straight state title with a win.
โWith two strikes, our philosophy is always to put the ball in play and force the other team to make a play,โ UHS coach Jon Ramsey said. โThe ball bounced our way.โ
University 2, Catholic-New Iberia 1
Catholic-NI 010 000 0 โ 1 5 0
University 010 000 1 โ 2 5 1
W โ Grant Sunstrom (7 IP, 1R, 5H, 4K, 1BB). L โ Eli Viator (โ IP, 1R, 1H, 2BB).
Leaders: U-HIGH: Lane Mixon 1-4, RBI; Ethan Hopkins 1-2, HR, RBI, run; Jaris Hamilton 1-3. Caden Connor 1-3. Mackie Musgrove 1-3. CATHOLIC-NEW IBERIA: Lane Fenske (6 IP, 1R, 4H, 5K, 3BB). Owen Morris 2-3, double; J.D. Hidalgo 1-3, double, run. Izaac Andre, RBI; Gavin Roy 1-2.
