Bobcats earn 7-3 win over Mamou

The Eunice High Bobcats used a four-run third inning to chase Mamou High starting pitcher Dylan Duplechain from the mound on their way to a 7-3 victory over the Green Demons in baseball action Tuesday night at Bobcat Field.
Coach Scott Phillips’ Bobcats struggled early against Duplechain, getting just one hit in the first two innings of the game.
Mamou had scored an unearned run off Eunice starting pitcher Austin Manuel to take a 1-0 lead.
But, with one out in the fourth, the Bobcats put together a rally to take the lead, with the help of a couple of Green Demon errors.
Gunner Fontenot singled and Wesley Hebert followed with a run-scoring double to tie the game. Christian Lejeune was hit by a pitch and would score when Austin Manuel’s deep fly ball was dropped in the outfield.
Toby Fontenot came on in relief for the Demons, but he had control problems; hitting three Bobcat batters in a row to produce another run to put the Cats up 4-1.
After a rain delay, the Bobcats would add three more runs in the sixth inning. Logan Manuel opened the inning with a double and Fontenot reached on a throwing error, which scored Manuel.
Hebert followed with a single and later scored on a fielders’ choice grounder off the bat of Caleb Taylor.
The Green Demons managed to score two runs in the top of the seventh off reliever Christian Taylor, though both runners had reached safely on errors. Jude Fontenot had a RBI single in the inning for Mamou before Taylor retired the side.
Fontenot and Hebert had two hits apiece to lead the Eunice High offense. Christian Taylor, Logan Manuel, and Kameron Givens had the other hits for the Bobcats. Duplechain had two hits to lead the Green Demon offense.
Austin Manuel pitched four innings to claim the mound victory for the Bobcats. He allowed just two hits and one unearned run.
He did not walk a batter and struck out one. Christian Taylor pitched three innings in relief, allowing three hits and striking out four.
The Bobcats travel to Monroe today to play in the Trey Altick Louisiana Prep Classic ast hey will face Union Parish and Ouachita Christian. The Cats will face St. Charles on Friday and University High on Saturday before returning home.
The Eunice High Bobcats evened their record at 2-2 with victories over Catholic High of Pointe Coupee and False River Academy here this past weekend at the Opelousas Catholic Baseball Tournament.
The Bobcats used strong pitching performances by Caleb Taylor and Gunner Fontenot to claim victories of 9-1 and 14-0 over Catholic and False River, respectively.
Taylor, a senior, pitched a complete game against Catholic, scattering four hits, walking one, and striking out four to even his season record at 1-1.
Taylor’s teammates gave him plenty of support, scoring six runs in the first two innings for the early lead.
Cade Richard was hit by a pitch to lead off against Catholic pitcher Samuel Grezaffi. Logan Manuel’s sacrifice bunt moved Richard to second base and he later scored on a single by Wes Hebert.
Three walks and a hit batsman produced a third run for the Bobcats.
Eunice High added three more runs in the second inning after Manuel drew a one-out walk. Gunner Fontenot singled and Hebert tripled to score both runners.
Hebert later scored on a single by Taylor. The Cats added a run in the third to extend their lead to 7-0 as Jonas Granger walked and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kameron Givens. Richard drove home Granger with a single.
Catholic cut into the lead in the fourth, with Abram Glaser doubling to open the inning. He later scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Logan Maggio. But Taylor shutout the Hornets over the final three innings to seal the win.
The Cats would add single runs in the fifth and sixth innings as Zac Guillory singled to lead off the fifth and later scored on Logan Manuel’s sacrifice fly, and Taylor’s double set up a run in the sixth.
Fontenot would dominate False River over four innings, allowing one hit; a single by Kohl Jones in the first inning. Fontenot walked three and struck out six before giving way to reliever Brandon Martel in the fifth inning. Martel retired the side in order to end the game.
Three False River pitchers could not contain the Bobcat offense, starting with the first inning. Richard drew a walk to open the inning and Manuel singled. Fontenot singled in a run and Hebert doubled home another for 3-0 lead. An error and Josh Youngblood’s sacrifice fly made it 4-0 before a bases-loaded walk gave the Cats a 5-0 lead.
The Cats used a six-run third inning to pad their lead. Manuel had a single and Givens had a double to highlight that inning.
Run-scoring singles by Guillory and Tyler Darbonne highlighted a 3-run fourth inning as the Cats breezed to the 14-0 victory.