Braves hand Trojans first loss in district play

Errors, wild pitches and rain are never a good combination in a baseball game, but the Central Lafourche Trojans had a dose of all of them in their 7-2 loss to the H.L. Bourgeois Braves.

The Trojans failed to convert on several key opportunities and the Braves took advantage of the miscues.

“Errors, errors, errors,” Central Lafourche Head Coach Scott Duplantis said. “Like a good team does, they capitalized on our mistakes and made the plays when they needed to. They (H.L. Bourgeois) played sensational.”

The game was a classic pitcher’s dual early on as both teams played two scoreless innings, giving up a total of one hit.

The Braves (13-8, 2-2) started the scoring in the top of the third after Grant Thibodaux scored on a wild throw to third.

After holding the Trojans (13-10, 4-1) to only one hit in the bottom half of the third, the Braves then added to their lead.

After Bryan Megehee doubled to right field, Justin Lirette advanced him to third with a single to right field.

Thibodaux came to bat again and hit a hard ground ball to the short. Lirette was tossed out at second but a wild throw to first kept the inning alive and Megehee crossed the plate to increase the lead to 2-0.

The Trojans tied the game in the bottom half of the fourth after two Brave errors.

However, the top of the fifth proved to be the nail in the coffin for the Trojans.

Megehee’s double off of the left field wall scored two. Two batters later Thibodaux drew a walk with bases loaded to score another run.

The very next batter, Corey St. Germaine, ripped a single to second which scored two more runs. The Braves used the five-run inning to take the 7-2 and seal the game.

“We pretty much turned around what we have been doing the last couple of weeks,” H.L. Bourgeois Head Coach Rondon Anderson said. “Our defense was pretty much flawless except for the two errors. Our guys had timely hits at key moments.”

Andy Stewart suffered the loss for the Trojans, giving up six runs in 4 2/3 innings pitched.

Ben Poche, who was a spur of the moment starter for the Braves, notched the win, going the entire game allowing on one earned run with two strikes.

He did a great job,” Anderson said. “He wasn’t scheduled to pitch today but I had an incident with some other players and he got the call and stepped up. The guys played well behind him.”