ANDRE BURL / L’Observateur / April 25, 1999

DESTREHAN – Twenty five hits. Thirty runs. Seven home runs.In other words, just your typical Destrehan-East St. John baseball game.Destrehan overcame a 5-0 first inning deficit and three home runs by East St. John’s Jeremy Mitchell to take an 18-12 District 6-5A victoryTuesday afternoon.

Destrehan improved to 11-13 overall and 6-5 in district play. East St.John fell into a second place tie with Thibodaux in district play with an 8- 3 record and a record of 14-12-1 overall. East St. John travels toThibodaux Tuesday.

Destrehan and East St. John have had a history of high scoring, long-ballaffairs and Tuesday’s game was no different. East St. John’s BrandonMason led the game off with a stand-up double to left field that fell in just past the glove of Justin St. Pierre. An errant throw allowed Mason toadvance to third base.

After a walk to Randy Sutherland put runners at the corners with none out, Roydell Williams picked up Mason with a bouncing single through the box.

Samson Monica then stepped in and took a low outside fastball over the right-center field fence for a three-run home run, giving East St. John a 4-0 lead.

One out later, Mitchell tore into an inside fastball and launched it deep over the left-center field fence to make it 5-0. After a double by JeromeAnderson to center, Destrehan starting pitcher Craig Naquin got the next two batters to end the inning.

St. Pierre led off the bottom of the inning with a walk and stole second.One out later, Naquin reached on an error to put runners at the corners. Awild pitch by Monica allowed St. Pierre to score from third and movedcourtesy runner Avrien Veneralla to second. After a walk by Jason Pick,Larry Matherne reached on an error as Veneralla scored to make it 5-2.

Michael Bierman then drilled a shot to center for a single, scoring Pick from third. A walk by Michael Catalano loaded the bases with two outs butMonica got Kenny Perrier to end the inning with the score 5-3.

Destrehan got another run in the bottom of the second as Naquin caught a high fast ball and delivered it over the left-center field fence for a home run, cutting the deficit to 5-4.

East St. John came right back with three in the third. Mitchell blasted aline drive over the center field fence with one out to make it 6-4.

Anderson then bounced a single past shortstop, moved to second on a past ball and to third on a ground out.

Tie Reese brought him in with a single past short. Mason followed with astand-up double to left-center, scoring courtesy runner Jonas Jones from first for an 8-4 East St. John lead.Down by four with one out in the bottom of the fourth, Perrier walked and St. Pierre bounced one over third for a single. Danny Krieger then launchedthe first pitch to left field for a three-run home run, making it an 8-7 game.

Naquin then helped his own cause with a double to the gap in left-center and moved to third on a passed ball. Pick followed with a grounder tothird, scoring Veneralla to tie the game at 8.

Matherne slapped a slicing single to left-center and Bierman walked with both runners then moving up on a wild pitch. Ben McLaren then ripped asingle through the box, scoring both runners to give Destrehan a 10-8 lead.

East St. John coach Carey Ourso then brought in Mitchell from right fieldto pitch. Mitchell struck out Catalano to end the inning.With one out in the top of the fifth, Mitchell sent Naquin’s first pitch over the right field fence for his third, and East St. John’s fourth, home run ofthe game. East St. John then put runners at second and third before Naquingot the next two batters to get out of the jam.

Perrier walked to open the bottom half of the inning and St. Pierrefollowed with a hard grounder to third for a single. Walks by Krieger andNaquin forced in Perrier to give Destrehan an 11-9 lead.

Anderson came in to pitch and retired Pick for the first out. Matherne thendrilled a shot to second with St. Pierre beating the throw home to make it12-9. Bierman followed by reaching on an error, allowing Krieger to score. A single by McLaren to left scored Veneralla and Catalano followed with one to right to bring home Matherne and Bierman. McLaren was tagged outgoing to third on the play. Perrier then kept the rally alive, blasting atwo-run home run over the center field fence, capping an eight-run fifth and giving the Wildcats an 18-9 lead.

The fireworks were not over with yet. Randy Sutherland led off the sixthwith a double off the wall in left-center and moved to third base on a passed ball. Williams then stepped in and slapped a single to right field toscore Sutherland. One out later, Kent Roussell ripped a double down theleft field line, scoring Williams to make it 18-11.

Destrehan walked Mitchell intentionally to bring up Anderson who forced Mitchell at second. Darwin Pittman then reached on an error, bringing inRoussell to cut the deficit to 18-12. Reese followed with a fly ball to leftto end the inning.

Mason singled to left to lead off the seventh but Naquin then retired the side in order.

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