EHS’ Phillips earns 500th win

PRAIRIE RONDE – Eunice head baseball coach Scott Phillips earned his 500th career win Tuesday as the Bobcats rolled to a 13-1 victory over the Northwest High Raiders in District 5-3A action Tuesday afternoon.
The victory improved the district record of the Bobcats to 7-0, with the Cats hosting Church Point today to continue district play.
Phillips is in his 22nd season as the Bobcat head coach.
Eunice High senior Caleb Taylor took advantage of the early 5-0 lead to shut out the Raiders over the first three innings to earn his seventh win in nine decisions.
Taylor did not issue a walk while allowing one hit and striking out six in his three innings of work.
Austin Manuel relieved Taylor in the fourth inning, allowing one hit and one unearned run over the final two innings of play. Manuel walked one and struck out one.
The Bobcats, improving their overall record to 20-5, wasted no time in taking the lead.
Cade Richard doubled and scored on a triple by Logan Manuel.
When Christian Lejeune reached safely on a misplayed infield pop fly, both runners scored on Wes Hebert’s two-run single.
The inning continued with a run-scoring triple off the bat of Tyler Darbonne, who would score the fifth run on Josh Youngblood’s sacrifice fly.
The Bobcats would add an unearned run in the second inning for a 6-0 lead.
The Cats built a 10-0 lead with a four-run third inning.
Darbonne doubled and Zac Guillory drew a walk. Richard doubled home both runners.
Logan Manuel was hit by a pitch, and both he and Richard scored on a double by Christian Taylor.
The Cats ended their scoring with a three-run fourth inning. Jayden Brasseaux and Austin Manuel had singles to lead the offense in the fourth inning.
The Raiders scored their lone run in the fifth inning.
Matthew Rideau reached base due to an error and would score on an errant throw on the part of the Bobcats.
The lone hits for the Raiders were by Alex Fontenot and Hayston Fontenot in the second and fourth innings, respectively.

EHS 8, Beau Chene 6
PRAIRIE BASSE – The Bobcats scored single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to break a 6-6 tie and take an 8-6 victory over the Beau Chene Gators in non-district baseball action last Friday.
The Bobcats had a 6-3 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth inning before the Gators chased Eunice starting pitcher Christian Lejeune from the mound by scoring three runs after two were out. Justin Devillier singled and scored on a triple by Matt Prejean.
Caleb Williams doubled home Prejean and later scored on a Bobcat error to tie the game at 6-6.
Christian Taylor relieved Lejeune and would shut down the Gators over the final two innings to give his team a chance at the victory. Lejeune worked 4 2/3 innings, allowing seven hits and four earned runs. He walked three and struck out two.
In the top of the sixth inning, junior shortstop Cade Richard got the Bobcat rally going with a single. Logan Manuel used a sacrifice bunt to advance Richard to second base. Lejeune doubled home Richard to give the Cats a 7-6 lead.
The Cats added an important insurance run in the seventh.
Caleb Taylor drew a walk and pinch runner Ian George advanced to second on a wild pitch. Jonas Granger’s sacrifice bunt moved George to third base and he would score on a single by Richard for the 8-6 lead.
Christian Taylor made the lead stand up by limiting the Gators to just two hits over the final two innings. Taylor (5-0) struck out the final two batters he faced with the tying runs in scoring position to secure the win.
The Gators had taken a 1-0 lead after one inning, but the Bobcats touched Gators’ starting pitcher Taylor Plumb for five runs in the top of the second. Freshman Tyler Darbonne singled to open the inning and sophomore catcher Josh Youngblood doubled him home to tie the game at 1-1.
George, courtesy running for Youngblood scored on a single by Granger before Richard reached safely on an error before Logan Manuel doubled home both runners. Manuel would later score on an infield error for 5-1 lead.
The Gators cut into the lead when Plumb homered in the second and Devillier singled home an unearned run in the third. The Cats added an unearned run in the fifth for a 6-3 lead, setting up the drama over the final innings.
Richard, Manuel, Lejeune, Darbonne, and Youngblood had two hits apiece to lead the Bobcats on offense. Devillier had three singles and Prejean had a double and two singles to lead the Gators.