Cardinals, Eagles finish up baseball season

Throughout the season, the E.D. White baseball team has made a living overwhelming opponents with dominant pitching, steady defense and clutch hitting.

In the LHSAA Class 3A State Semifinals, the Cardinals got a giant dose of their own medicine.

Thanks to a dominant performance from North DeSoto ace pitcher Jarred West, the Griffins were able to move to the finals with a 2-1 win.

The dominant pitcher allowed just one hit, while recording 13 strikeouts to improve to 13-1 on the season.

Even while being overpowered by West, the Cardinals had opportunities to move into the state finals.

E.D. White had runners in scoring position in four of seven innings, but the powerful hurler was able to get out of trouble as easily as he was able to get into it.

West didn’t allow his first hit in the game until the sixth inning when his team held a 2-0 lead.

In that inning, the Cardinals had runners on first and third with just one out and the meat of their batting order at the dish.

But West took back control of the game after the hit, recording a fly ball out from Logan Barbera before striking out slugger Alex Becnel to end the threat.

The Cardinals also had a pair of runners on base with no outs in the seventh inning, but West allowed just one run (unearned) in the rally, which secured his team’s 2-1 win.

West’s dominance overshadowed another gem from Cardinals junior pitcher Scott Szush.

E.D. White’s ace was stellar again in the state semifinals, allowing just two runs, while striking out seven in a complete game effort.

The lone damage done to Szush came in the fourth inning when the Griffins plated both of their runners – which was enough to clinch the win.

The loss ends E.D. White’s season with a 25-10 record.

It marks the second time in three seasons the Cardinals are ousted in the state semifinals by just a lone run.

E.D. White wasn’t alone in their heartbreak this weekend.

In Class 1A, the Central Catholic Eagles advanced all the way to the State Finals with a dominant 3-0 win against M.P. Country Day in the semis.

But a day later, the Cardinals couldn’t keep up with No. 1 Ouachita Christian, falling 10-0 in the finals.

Saturday’s state title game looked like it was going to be a nail biter early on.

The Eagles trailed just 1-0 heading into the fifth inning.

Once there, Ouachita blew the game open, recording eight runs to put Central Catholic away for good.

The Eagles were never able to find any offensive rhythm throughout the finals, recording just one hit in the first four innings off Ouachita starter David Joe Branch.

The loss ends Central Catholic’s season as the state runner-up. The Eagles posted a 20-11 record on the season.

E.D. White pitcher Scott Szush fires a pitch during a second round playoff game. 

CASEY GISCLAIR | TRI-PARISH TIMES