So. T’bonne still in the hunt for state title

Nine Tri-parish area baseball teams qualified for the 2009 LHSAA baseball playoffs. Five advanced to the second round. Only one now survives.

E.D. White (24-9) was one of the teams sent packing in the third round.

They had only allowed eight runs total in two playoff games, but Parkview Baptist wouldn’t let itself be overpowered.

In a game that featured two teams that had won 11 of the last 13 state championships, it was the Eagles who conquered, ending their winless playoff streak against the Cardinals with the 10-5 victory.

For the Cardinals, early errors and a six-run fourth inning spelled disaster. Despite a four-run fifth inning that cut the lead to 8-4, the Cardinals were unable to hold the Eagles’ bats in check as they added one run each in the sixth and seventh innings.

South Terrebonne (23-11) may have been District 8-5A runner- up, but the Gators are still standing as they defeated Fontainebleau 4-1 in Regional playoff action Monday afternoon in Bourg.

In their Regional round game, the Gators took an early 1-0 lead. Behind the bat of Brock Hebert (two-for-three, 1 RBI) they erased a 1-1 tie with a three-run fifth inning. Pitcher Gilbert Bergeron (6 IP, two strikeouts, two walks and five hits) helped his own cause with a complete game one-run performance.

With the win, the Gators advance to the quarterfinal round against Northshore in Denham Springs on Friday.

In other postseason action, Berwick lost 7-6 in the second round. Patterson lost 3-1 to Notre Dame in the opening round while Vandebilt lost 4-3 in the second round.

Finally, in a game with a most controversial beginning, the Thibodaux Tigers lost in the first round 12-1 to Sulphur.

The controversy started when the Tigers traveled three hours to Sulphur for the original game. When the umpires didn’t show up, the Tigers were sent home and the game rescheduled for the next day.

The Louisiana High School Athletic Association thought it was only fair to offer the Tigers the opportunity to play at home after traveling so far the previous day. Thibodaux obliged and the Tigers played a “road” game in their home stadium.

It didn’t matter, however, as the Tornadoes used a seven-run fifth inning to dispose of the Tigers 12-1.