Austin Phillips
LAKE CHARLES – The Bobcats split a double-header in the Westlake tournament as Eunice won 18-3 against Merryville but fell short against DeQuincy, 8-7.
The Bobcats got going early against Merryville when they took a 1-0 lead after Jahiem Mitchell scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the first inning.
Zach Suire pitched a great game despite allowing three runs in the third inning on a base clearing double by Blaise Duncan, scoring Kade Royer, Cam’ron Williams, and Julian Hamilton.
The Bobcats scored 11 runs in the bottom of the third inning induced by a triple from Dylan Darbonne which scored two runs.
Hayden Darbonne also recorded an RBI.
The Bobcats managed to score six more runs in the bottom of the fourth after Mitchell’s third hit of the game.
Suire earned the compete game win, striking out eight, walked three.
Against DeQuincy, it was a hard fought battle until the end.
In the first inning, after an infield hit by DeQuincy’s Cameron Hext, he got all the way around to third on a passed ball.
Dylan Rosalis grounded out to the pitcher to score the first run of the game for DeQuincy making it 1-0.
In the bottom of the third, Hext recorded a walk and then Rosalis doubled down the line to put runners on second and third.
Kam Perkins recorded a sacrifice fly to center to make the score 2-0.
The Bobcats responded in the top of the fourth inning as Suire hit a sacrifice fly after Mitchell doubled and stole third and scored to close the gap to 2-1.
The Tigers added a run in the bottom of the inning when Geautreaux singled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Ashworth.
Eunice answered with a run in the top of the fifth when Evan Fruge singled and scored on an error as the Bobcats pulled closer, trailing 3-2.
DeQuincy added two runs in the bottom of the inning aided by a Bobcat error as the Tigers pushed ahead, 5-2.
Eunice scored two runs in the top of the sixth inning, begun when Suire crossed home plate on a sacrifice by Alex Young and Dru Phillips later scored on a hit by Price Myers.
DeQunicy answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning as the Tigers moved ahead, 7-4.
Bobcats scored three runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game, aided by five walks.
In the bottom of the seventh, George Duraso advanced on error, reached third on a sacrifice bunt and then scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly by Max Gary.
Eunice travels to Monroe for the Trey Altick Tournament this week, where the Bobcats will play Haughton on Thursday, Pineville on Friday and they will play two games on Saturday against West Ouachita and Jena.