In the opening game of the Class 3A bi-district state baseball playoffs, the Eunice High Bobcats used a five-run first inning to take an early 5-0 lead against visiting Avoyelles High.
But No. 8 Mustangs (12-14) managed a five run third inning to make the game interesting before the No. 5 Bobcats finished with a 15-5 mercy-rule win.
Eunice (26-8) will entertain No. 12 North Vermilion in the best-of-three regional round at 6 p.m. Friday.
North Vermilion (19-12) earned a 6-1 win over No. 21 Madison Prep (9-15).
After Eunice starting pitcher Jayden Brasseaux shut down the Mustangs in the top of the first inning, the Bobcat offense responded, with Luke Andrepont drawing a walk and Austin Phillips getting a bunt single.
Andrepont later scored on a sacrifice fly off the bay of Josh Youngblood.
Tyler Darbonne reached on an error and later scored on a single by Brasseaux. John Lejeune and Ian George contributed singles before the inning was completed.
The Mustangs threatened in the second inning as Brody Knott and Taylor Gremillion reached base, but the Cats ended the inning with a double play.
The Bobcats scored two runs in the bottom of the second inning after Youngblood singled and Brasseaux doubled.
Both runners would score to make it a 7-0 lead.
The Mustangs responded by scoring five runs in the third inning as they closed the gap to 7-5.
Tyler Bowman reached on an error, Auston Gremillion walked and Cody Lambert singled to load the bases.
Knott drew a walk to score Bowman, while Blade Chesne doubled in Gremilion and Lambert.
Jason Sampson (2-for-2, 2 RBI) ripped another double to plate Knott and Chesne to close the margin to two runs.
The Bobcats answered in the fourth inning, with Youngblood, Darbonne, Seth Venable, Grant Fontenot and Lejeune scoring runs to give their team an 11-5 lead.
The Cats added four more runs in the fifth inning, begun when Phillips reached on an error and Youngblood tripled in Phillips.
Darbonne plated Yoingblood, while Brasseaux singled home Darbonne to end the game by way of the ten-run rule for a 15-5 victory.
Eunice took advantage of 12 Mustang errors as the Bobcats scored 15 runs on seven hits,
Darbonne went 2-for-4 with a RBI and three runs scored, while Youngblood went 1-for-3 with two RBI and three runs scored.
John Lejeune went 1-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored.
Phillips (1-for-5, 2 RS), Brasseaux (1-for-4, RBI, 2 RS) recorded the other Bobcat hits.
Bobcat starter Brasseaux struck out two, walked three and allowed four runs on three hits.
Reliever Ian George fanned four and allowed one run on two hits over 2.2 innings.
Tyler Bowman suffered the loss as he allowed two earned runs on five hits with one strikeout and five walks.
Eunice 4, BC 2
ARNAUDVILLE – Eunice High completed the regular season with a 4-2 win over the Beau Chene Gators.
The Bobcats took an early lead by scoring two runs in the second inning off Gator starting pitcher Cameron Butts.
With one out, Jayden Brasseaux singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Grant Fontenot followed with a single to put runners at first and third.
Fontenot was successful stealing second base as Seth Venable struck out. John Lejeune singled home both runs on a single to give the Bobcats a 2-0 lead.
The Bobcats added two runs in the third inning to extend their lead to 4-0.
Luke Andrepont opened the inning with a single and Austin Phillips reached safely on a bunt single to put runners at first and second.
A wild pitch advanced both runners before Josh Youngblood doubled to score Andrepont and move Phillips to third base.
Tyler Darbonne drove in Phillips with a sacrifice fly to give the Bobcats a 4-0 lead.
Darbonne, the Bobcat starting pitcher, protected the lead through four innings, recording seven strikeouts and issuing only two walks and a single by Butts.
But the Gators’ Caplan Sorrel opened the fifth inning with a single and Darbonne hit Thomas Lavergne with a pitch to put runners at first and second.
A sacrifice bunt advanced both runners into scoring position and Kohl Savage singled home both runners to cut the lead to 4-2.
Darbonne escaped further damage by retiring the next two batters on flyouts to left fielder Ian George.
Darbonne retired the Gators in order in the sixth and seventh innings to secure the 4-2 victory.
Darbonne finished the game by striking out eight, allowing just four hits and walking two.
PPHS 7, Westlake 6
PINE PRAIRIE – A long drought has finally ended for the Pine Prairie baseball team as no Panther club had won a home playoff game since 2008.
That streak ended Tuesday afternoon when Pine Prairie took a 7-3 lead into the top of the seventh inning and held on in a wild 7-6 win over the Westlake Rams.
With the win the No. 16 seed Panthers improve to 19-11 on the season.
Pine Prairie and will travel to No. 1 Sterlington (27-3) 6 p.m. Friday for the best of three game regional round.
Saturday’s first game is set for 1 p.m. with the if-neccessary game to follow at 4 p.m.
Sterlington rolled to a 11-0 mercy-rlule win over No. 32 Wossman to open the playoffs.
The Rams took the early 1-0 lead as Travis Racca scored the run after singling, moving to second on a sacrifice bunt and scoring on a base hit from Mark Ashworth.
Pine Prairie answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning as Kyler Carson singled, reached second on a passed ball and then JJ Sims drove Carson in with a single to left field.
The Rams moved ahead in the top of the second by scoring their second run of the game.
Zac Abshire led off with a single got to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a double off of the bat of Ethan Peterson.
Pine Prairie took a commanding 7-1 lead as the Panther picking up six runs in the bottom half of the fourth inning.
Joel Franks started it off with a single to left field and reached second when Cole Thomas was thrown out at first after a passed ball on a strike out.
Franks stole third base and came home on a single from Nick Ortego.
Peyton Ledoux was hit by the pitch to reach first base and then Gavin Woodham drove home Ortego on a single.
Carson and Sims both doubled scoring three more runs.
An error by the Westlake infield with Ardoin at the plate allowed Sims to score the final run of the at bat.
The Rams inched closer in the top of the sixth when Ashworth scored on an error by the Pine Prairie defense, cutting the lead to 7-3.
Westlake scored three runs in the top of the seventh on three base hits and two errors to close the gap to 7-6.
Sims led the way at the plate for the Panthers going 3 for 4 with two doubles, three RBI and a run scored.
Carson was 2 for 4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored.
Ardoin picked up the win in relief, throwing four complete innings, allowing two earned runs on eight hits, with four strikeouts and one walk.