New Iberia cuts Tigers’ season short

This year, there were no late-game heroics—although it appeared some might be on the horizon.

This year, there was no clawing back from four runs down to win the game; and there was no game-winning hit to send the crowd into frenzy.

Last year, Thibodaux fought back from a 4-0 deficit to beat Holy Cross 5-4 in the opening round of the playoffs.

This year, the Tigers again fought back from a 4-0 deficit, this time against New Iberia, but fell short 4-3, and were eliminated from the Class 5A playoffs.

The Tigers trailed 4-0 after three innings, but gained momentum in the fourth and fifth innings, to cut the lead to 4-3.

They put a runner in scoring position in the sixth inning, but a groundout by Travis Scherry left him stranded on second base; after two outs to start the seventh inning, Clint Dempster hit a bloop single, but was picked off at first, by New Iberia (23-10) pitcher Brandon Anderson.

Tigers’ (24-12) senior Drew Granier took the complete-game loss, giving up 11 hits, three walks and striking out 12 batters. After giving up seven hits in the first three innings, Granier settled down and scattered four hits over the last four innings, while giving up no runs.

Even after the rocky start, Thibodaux coach Wayne Grenfell said it was a no-brainer to keep Granier on the mound, a move that nearly paid off. “I think he’s the best pitcher in the state,” said Grenfell. “When you have the best pitcher in the state of Louisiana pitching, even though he didn’t hit his spot a few times, you stay with your best. Everybody who’s got a good one is going to stay with it. He’s taken us to places we’ve never been before, so why do anything else?”

Granier’s pitching nearly helped bring the Tigers back, and according to New Iberia coach Kyle Seibold had the Yellow Jackets offense feeling beat. “We got to (Granier) early … but he got better as the game went on,” said Seibold. “He was touching 90 mph in the seventh-inning, and from the fifth-inning on, I felt defeated at the plate, for us.”

Still, the Yellow Jackets mounted enough offense early to survive the late-game rally by Thibodaux.

New Iberia got on the board in the first inning, when Michael Lemothe’s shot to leftfield scored Josh Piro from third-base. Lemothe was thrown out at second base to end the inning.

A scoreless second inning gave way to a four-hit, three-run third inning that broke the game open for the Yellow Jackets. With runners on second and third bases, Jordan Derouen connected on a single to right field for a 2-0 lead.

Two batters later, Lemothe’s two-out, two-run double to the centerfield wall put the Yellow Jackets ahead 4-0.

Two batters later, Granier recorded a strike out, leaving two runners stranded.

One inning later, Thibodaux showed signs of life when Randall Daigle’s RBI single made it 4-1.

The Tigers showed even more signs of life in the fifth inning, as they threatened to tie the game. Dempster hit a two-out, bases-loaded single to centerfield, which cut the lead to 4-3.

Two batters later, the bases were loaded again, but Anderson struck out Daigle to preserve the lead.

Thibodaux never seriously threatened again, and Anderson’s pick off of Dempster at first secured the Yellow Jackets’ win. “I told (Anderson) early on … that he needed to maybe save his best balk move for a big situation,” said Seibold. “He threw over (to first) a couple of times, but he never used his best one. (At the end) He was smart enough to use it.”

Anderson earned the complete-game win, giving up nine hits and walking two batters. He struck out five batters.