John Burson
The Barbe Buccaneers took advantage of some defensive miscues in the first two innings to take an early 7-0 lead on their way to a 10-3 victory over Eunice High in baseball action Tuesday evening at Bobcat Field.
The Bucs scored three runs in the top of the first inning after leadoff batter Tanner Littleton reached safely on an error.
Eunice starter pitcher Jonas Granger retired two of the next three batters, but Slate Fuller and Antonio Gauthier each singled and Bryan Lawrence drove in two runs with a single to give the Bucs the early lead.
The Bucs added four more runs in the second with the help of three Bobcat errors and added another run third to claim an 8-0 advantage.
The Bobcats rallied for three runs in the third inning. Josh Youngblood had a single, but was forced at second on a grounder by Jaydon Brasseaux.
Cade Richard singled and Austin Phillips drew a walk before Gunner Fontenot’s grounder brought home one run.
A defensive lapse by the Bucs allowed both Brasseaux and Richard to score on the play. Zac Guillory drove in the third run of the inning with a single.
Bobcat relief pitcher Ian George limited the Bucs to just two earned runs in his four and two-thirds innings of work.
George scattered five hits, walked two, and recorded one strikeout before giving way to Brasseaux in the top of the seventh. Brasseaux struck out Littleton to end the seventh.
The Bobcat offense was led by Guillory and Granger with two hits apiece. Lawrence led Barbe with a double and a single.
Eunice 12, VPHS 2
The Bobcats scored six runs in the bottom of the first inning on their way to a 12-2 victory over the Ville Platte Bulldogs in District 5-3A baseball action at Bobcat Field on Monday.
The Bobcats took advantage of five walks and one hit batsman in the bottom of the first as Ville Platte starting pitcher Tyler Brown struggled with his control.
Tyler Darbonne singled home two runs and Jaydon Brasseaux tripled in two runs to highlight the inning for the Cats.
Darbonne shutout the Bulldogs over the first three innings and his teammates added two runs in the third inning to build an 8-0 lead. Austin Phillips singled home both runs in that inning.
The Bulldogs scored two runs in the top of the fourth.
Matt Duplechain drew a walk and Breshanski Jones singled with two out.
Jaishaun Doucet doubled to plate both runs and cut the Eunice lead to 8-2.
The Cats responded with three runs in the bottom of the fourth for an 11-2 lead.
Jonas Granger had the key hit of the inning for the Cats with a triple.
Darbonne, now 1-2 on the mound, shut down the Bulldogs over the fifth and sixth innings.
The Cats scored a run in the bottom of the sixth inning to claim the 10-run rule victory.
Darbonne allowed just three hits and two runs in his six innings of work. He walked four and struck seven.
Eunice 7, BBHS 6
YOUNGSVILLE – The Eunice High Bobcats ended a three-game losing streak Saturday with a 7-6 victory over the Breaux Bridge Tigers at the Ascension Episcopal High School Baseball Tournament.
Eunice starting pitcher Ian George shut down the Tigers’ attack over the first three innings, giving his teammates an opportunity to take an early lead.
They did just that in the second inning against Tigers’ starter Grayson Simon.
Granger singled to open the second inning but was erased when Josh Youngblood grounded into a fielders’ choice.
A single by Darbonne was followed by a sacrifice bunt by Brasseaux to put runners at second and third.
Cade Richard delivered a single up the middle to score courtesy runner Brady Smith and Darbonne to give the Bobcats a 2-0 lead.
The Bobcats would add to their lead in the fourth. Granger led off the inning by drawing a walk and Youngblood followed with a single.
Both runners advanced on a groundout to first. With two out, Richard was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Austin Phillips singled in one run and another scored on an error on the play to put the Cats ahead by a 4-0 margin.
The Tigers answered back against George in the bottom of the fourth.
After a leadoff walk, a grounder by Tanner Dalfrey was turned into an out at second on a fielders’ choice.
George struck out the next batter, but Julien Leon singled and Luke Derouen doubled to bring home both runs.
George stranded Derouen on third base by getting a fly out to end the inning.
After a scoreless fifth inning, the Bobcats extended their lead in the sixth.
Brasseaux singled with one out and Richard drew a walk. Phillips loaded the bases with a bunt single before Gunner Fontenot singled home two runs for a 6-2 lead.
But the Tigers, one of the top teams in the 4A polls refused to go quietly, scoring twice in the bottom of the sixth to cut the Eunice lead to 6-4.
After the Cats were retired in the top of the seventh, Darbonne relieved George in the bottom of the seventh.
The first two batters singled to open the inning but Darbonne got a force out at second on a bunt for the first out.
After hitting the next batter, Darbonne induced a ground ball from Leon that resulted in a force out executed by Richard and Phillips for the second out.
The game ended when Luke Huval attempted to score from third base on a wild pitch but was thrown out on a impressive play by Youngblood and Darbonne.