Rayne edges out E.D. White in 3A playoffs

In a game where the smallest of breaks could play the largest of roles on the outcome, a bunt single in the eighth inning may have been the deciding factor in Rayne’s 3-2 win over E.D. White, last Tuesday in the Class 3A Regional playoff game.

Tied 2-2, with no outs and a runner on first, Rayne’s Nick Pryor popped a bunt just over the outstretched arm of E.D. White pitcher Brett Ledet. Pryor reached first base, and pushed T.J. Fontenot to second base.

After a sacrifice bunt, Rayne (20-9 overall) executed a suicide squeeze, scoring Ricky Judice for the eventual winning run.

Ledet struck out the next batter to end the top half of the inning, but the Cardinals (17-6 overall) failed to get the tying run in the bottom half.

“That kind of opened it up for them, with runners on first and second and nobody out,” E.D. White coach Lance Ford said of the bunt. “Chances are good that (they’re) going to score unless you buckle down and get some strikeouts. They were able to put the ball in play, and got the run to beat us. That’s how it goes.”

Rayne coach Benny Fontenot agreed that the attempted sacrifice bunt that turned into a single was crucial in the outcome. “A game like this,” he said, “even when you don’t do things fundamentally sound, you just hope you get a break from the baseball gods, and we were lucky to get a break. Sometimes you need those breaks when you’re at this point in the season.”

It’s the fourth year in a row that the Cardinals fail to make it past Regionals.

Runs were hard to come by early on. After a scoreless first inning, Rayne took a 1-0 lead on a single to rightfield.

With runners on first and second bases, Broc Menard connected on the hit to rightfield. The ball took an awkward bounce, and rolled to the wall, scoring a runner for a 1-0 lead. Another runner tried to score, but was thrown out at home to end the threat.

In the second, third and fourth innings, E.D. White put runners on third base, but failed to score. The Cardinals stranded a total of 10 runners.

Ford said the inability to push runners across was costly. “We got runners on base, and just couldn’t get that clutch hit,” he said. “We battled the whole game. We just had to scrap for runs and hope our defense and pitching did well.”

After Rayne took a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning, E.D. White answered with a run in the fifth. With runners on the corners, Ryan Jennings stole home on a pick-off attempt at second base. The runner stealing second was tagged out in a run down, but not before E.D. White had cut the lead to 2-1.

The Cardinals tied it 2-2 in the sixth inning when a runner scored on a fielding error at first base. They threatened to win the game in the seventh inning, with one out and runners on first and second bases, but Max Ledet hit into a double play to send the game to extra innings.

Fontenot said his team’s experience in close games helped it to win. “We play for the small ball,” he said. “We play for the small inning. We’ve been in so many one-run games this year, and most of the games we’ve lost have been by one run.”

Starting pitchers Drey Trosclair (EDW) and Dischler (Rayne) earned no decisions.

Trosclair went seven innings, giving up six hits, two runs, five walks and striking out three.

Dischler gave up four hits, two runs, three walks and had one strikeout.

Breaux earned the win in relief, allowing four hits and striking out two. Ledet took the loss, giving up a run, a hit, a walk and striking out one.