Jays face Trojans in opener

The No. 9 St. Edmund Blue Jays open the LHSAA Division IV baseball playoffs Thursday at No. 8 Sacred Heart of Ville Platte.
The winner of the best-of-three series will advance to face either top-seed Ouachita Christian or No. 16 St. Martin’s Episcopal.
If today’s expected rain forces a schedule change, the games will be moved to 4:30 p.m. Friday with a double header on Saturday.
In the first round of the Class 3-A playoffs, No. 5 Iota jumped out to an rolled to a 13-0 lead as the Bulldogs earned a 13-3 win over No. 28 Bogalusa.
The Bulldogs now entertain No. Jennings in a best-of-three series set to begin at 6 p.m. Friday.
Bulldog pitchers Gavin Leblanc, Gavin Credeur and Gage Monceaux combined for the win as the trio allowed three runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and one walk.
Iota finished with nine hits. led by Nicholas Duplechain (2-for-2, 4 RBI, 2 RS), Mitchell Lege (2-for-3, 2 RBI) and Kameron Ardoin (2-for-3, 3 RBI, 2 RS).
No. 1 Sterlington (29-4) cruised to a 10-0 mercy-rule win over No. 32 Church Point (5-25).
The Bears were limited to three hits from Chris Dailey, Ian Meche and Hayden Babineaux.
Sterlington pitcher Trey Rugg earned the shut-out win as he struck out eight and walked one over six innings.
The Panthers rapped 10 hits, led by Davis Johnson (3-for-4, 2 RBI) and Harrison Womack (2-for-3, RBI).
Also in Class 3-A, No. 20 Pine Prairie (15-16) fell in a 12-8 battle to No. 13 North Vermilion (20-14).
After the Patriots jumped out to a 5-0 lead, Pine Prairie exploded for four runs in the top of the third to pull closer.
North Vermilion answered with five runs in the bottom of the inning to push ahead, 8-4.
The Panthers outscored North Vermilion 4-2 over the next four innings, but the Patriots’ lead held.
Both teams used three pitchers as Pine Prairie finished with eight runs on seven hits with 11 strikeouts and nine walks.
The Patriots recorded 12 runs on 12 hits including three home runs with four strikeouts, three walks.
Jerrod Sims went 3-for-5 with two runs and a RBI to lead Pine Prairie.
Peyton Ledoux finished 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Garrett Becker went 3-for-4 with two RBI for North Vermilion, while Eli Dubois finished 2-for-3 with a walk, two RBI anf two runs scored.
No. 3 South Beauregard (23-9) earned a 6-1 win over No. 30 Crowley (9-19).
The Gents were limited to hits from Alyxander Duhon and Ryan Trahan as four South Beauregard pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts and five walks.
South Beauregard finished with five hits with two strikeouts and five walks.
In the Class 3-A playoffs, No. 5 Iota entertained No. 28 Bogalusa on Tuesday.
No. 23 Mamou (13-16) visits No. 10 Iowa on Tuesday.