Blue Jays are runners-up

The dream season for the Blue Jays ended in the Class 1-A championship game as No. 1 Ouachita Christian cruised to a 12-0 win over No. 7 St. Edmund Saturday at McMurry Park in Sulphur.
Class 1-A tournament MVP Grant Shepherd hit two grand slams to give the Eagles all the runs they would need.
While St. Edmund head coach Scott Richard was disappointed in the outcome, he was proud of the way his team battled through the playoffs.
“No one expected us to make it this far and we finished as the second best Class 1-A team in the state,” he said. “There are a lot of other teams wishing they were here in Sulphur.”
Blue Jay pitchers Hans Redlich, Alex Hunt, Will Chachere and Drake Brunet limited Ouachita Christian to just seven hits but they also allowed seven walks and hit three batters over four innings.
“Ouachita Christian is a very good team and we knew it would take our best effort to win,” he said. “We didn’t play our best game but I am still proud of their effort.”
The Jays threatened in the first inning when Ross LaFleur reached on an error and Drew Brown walked but neither could advance.
The Eagles jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Jake Slaughter walked, Beau Bailey was hit by a pitch and Garryn Chowns walked before Shepherd’s first grand slam.
Mavrick Wilhite bunted his way on, stole two bases and scored on a passed ball to give Ouachita a five-run advantage.
The Jays threatened again in the top of the second when Alex Hunt reached on an error and Austin Sittig walked, but again St. Edmund was kept off the scoreboard.
Ouachita Christian added three more runs in the bottom of the second as Slaughter reached on an error and then raced around the bases to score on another Blue Jay miscue.
Bailey and Shepherd both walked and scored to give the Eagles an 8-0 advantage.
Ross LaFleur singled in the top of the third for the Jays, but was left stranded at first base.
Ouachita Christian put the game out of reach in the bottom of the third when Slaughter was hit by a pitch while Ryan Reynolds and Chowns both walked before Shepherd’s second grand slam to give the Eagles a 12-0 lead.
Blue Jays Hunt and Jack Brown both singled and Aaron Sittig walked to load the bases in the top of the fourth, but the Jays could not each a run across.
St. Edmund’s last effort came in the top of the fifth, but Ty O’Neal retired the side to end the Blue Jay season short of the Class 1-A title.
“Sometimes you get punched in the face and kicked in the teeth,” Richard said. “But our guys battled to get this field and we are state runners-up.”

St. Edmund coach Scott Richard talks to his team in Sulphur. Ouachita Christian defeated the Blue Jays 12-0 in the state 1-A championship game. (Photo by Tom Dodge)