Bobcats capture District 5-3A title

PORT BARRE – The Eunice High Bobcats clinched the District 5-3A title Tuesday afternoon with a 14-3 victory over the Port Barre Red Devils.
The Bobcats, improving their overall record to 23-5, took control of the contest in the bottom of the first inning, scoring seven runs.
Cade Richard opened the inning with a double into right-center field.
Logan Manuel followed with a single to right field to put runners at first and third. Manuel was erased on Christian Lejeune’s fielders’ choice grounder, but Lejeune stole second base to put runners at second and third.
Eunice pitcher Christian Taylor drove in both runners with a double. Wes Hebert reached on an error and Tyler Darbonne was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Josh Youngblood drew a walk to force in courtesy runner Ian George with the inning’s third run.
Caleb Taylor’s single plated another run before Austin Manuel and Richard each drove in two runs on a single and a double, respectively.
The Cats added a run in the second inning. Hebert singled and advanced to second on an error. He would score on Darbonne’s double for an 8-0 lead.
The Cats would chase Red Devils’ starting pitcher Austin Lanclos in the third inning as they sent 12 batters to the plate and scored six runs.
With one, Richard singled and stole second base. Logan Manuel doubled to score Richard and later scored on a wild pitch. Lejeune drew a walk and Taylor singled to load the bases before Hebert doubled in a run.
A run-scoring single by Darbonne and a sacrifice fly by Youngblood ended the scoring with the Cats holding a 14-0 advantage.
Eunice head coach Scott Phillips replaced all of his starters in top the top of the fourth.
The Red Devils would take advantage of some misplayed balls by the Cats to score three runs. Austin Lanclos had a double for the Devils in the inning.
Eunice’s Christian Taylor improved his mound record to 6-0 with the victory. He pitched five innings, allowing three hits and no earned runs. He walked one and struck out six.
EHS 6, DeRidder 4
DERIDDER – The Bobcats grabbed a 6-4 victory over the DeRidder High Dragons in non-district baseball action Friday night.
The Bobcats took an early 2-0 lead thanks to a two-run home run off the bat of Logan Manuel. Manuel’s blast over the left-field wall scored Cade Richard, who had drawn a walk off DeRidder starting pitcher Lane Neely.
The Bobcats added to their lead in the third inning. Christian Lejeune and Christian Taylor both scored runs after Lejeune was hit by a hit by a pitch and Taylor drew a walk. Two errors and a run-scoring single by Wes Hebert produced the runs and the 4-0 lead for the Cats.
The Cats scored two more runs in the fourth, chasing Neely from the mound. Richard and Manuel scored the runs on a two a two run single by Lejeune for a 6-0 lead.
With senior Caleb Taylor on the mound, that six-run lead appeared safe for the Bobcats. But the Dragons, led by Eunice native Chad Menard as their head coach, came out swinging in the bottom of the fourth with Kirby Cooley leading off the inning with a double. Brady Everrett was hit by a pitch before Taylor got the first out.
A walk by Taylor to Jakob Brooks loaded the bases and they were quickly cleared on Parker Taylor’s three-run double. Dakota Courtney singled home Taylor to cut the Eunice lead to 6-4 before Caleb Taylor retired the next two batters to end the inning.
The Cats threatened in the top of the fifth against reliever Gage Johnson, with Hebert and Josh Youngblood collecting singles before Johnson pitched out of trouble.
Eunice’s Taylor rebounded in the fifth, striking out the first batter he faced. But Cooley singled and stole second to get in scoring position. Taylor struck out Everrett for the second out, but Neely singled to left field and Cooley tried to score but was cut down at the plate on a throw from Hebert to Youngblood to end the inning.
Taylor would retire the Dragons in order in the sixth and seventh innings to secure the 6-4 victory. Taylor improved his mound record to 8-2 with the complete game win. He allowed six hits and four runs, but issued just one walk and struck out nine.