MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / June 30, 1999

BOUTTE – Otto Candies used a three-hit pitching performance by Matt Caire and timely hitting to extend its lead in the Second District East River Parishes Division with a 11-3 victory over Cretin Homes Monday afternoon.

The victory moved Otto Candies (8-5, 7-3) to a game and a half over idle Lutcher Dugout Club (6-6, 5-4) and two games over Cretin Homes (7-6, 5- 5).

Otto Candies has games remaining against East St. Charles Post 366/195tonight and against Lutcher Friday night. A make-up game against Lutcherwas yet to be determined as of Monday night.

Cretin Homes has a game remaining against Lutcher tonight, a make-up game against Reserve Post 159 Friday and a non-district game against Holy Cross Tuesday.

Caire shook off a three-run second inning to retire 15 of the final 17 batters he faced. Caire did not allow a hit over that stretch, finishingwith 11 strikeouts and four walks.

Caire was helped out by a couple of stellar defensive plays by center fielder Kade Rogers and right fielder Teddy Schmill. Rogers made a runningcatch in right-center with the bases loaded to end the second inning.

That catch kept the score at 3-0 Cretin Homes heading into the bottom of the second. Tommy Theriot opened the inning by drawing a walk fromCretin Homes starter Dustin Braud and was forced at second by Tim Sirmon. Jeff Williams followed with a double to the left-center fieldwall, putting runners at second and third.

Schmill then stepped in and lined a single to left field, plating Sirmon and Williams to cut the deficit to 3-2. Caire helped himself with a double tothe wall in left, again putting runners at second and third with one out.

One out later, Brandon Kelly put Otto Candies ahead, 4-3, lining a single to right to score Schmill and courtesy runner Dustin Roussell. A double toright by Chris Hawkins brought in Kelly to make it 5-3. Jason LaPortecame in to pitch for Cretin Homes and after walking Erik Donnaud, struck out Theriot to end the inning.

Schmill made a running basket catch in foul territory on a fly ball by Nick Monica for the second out in the top of the third. Otto Candies then doubledits tally with five runs in the bottom of the inning.

With one out in the inning, Williams singled to left and went to third on a double to right by Schmill. Williams came in to score on a wild pitch withSchmill also scoring as Jason Gonzales’ throw to the plate went into the first base dugout.

Rogers followed with a single to left, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. Rogers then scored as Kelly’s fly ball to left fell inallowing Kelly to go to second. One out later, Kelly made it 10-3 onDonnaud’s double to left-center.

Schmill had a double to left with one out in the fourth but was left stranded. He finished the game 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs battedin and two runs scored.

Hawkins went 2-for-4 with an RBI, adding a single in the fifth.

Otto Candies added a run in the bottom of the sixth on Caire’s two-out home run to right field. Caire went 3-for-4 with two RBIs.Mike Picard followed with a double to right field before Kelly flew out to left to end the inning.

Picard made a diving catch in right field on Jason Rauch’s fly ball to lead off the inning. Caire then struck out the next two batters to end the game.”Matt kind of struggled at first, got his second wind, settled in and threw the ball well,” Otto Candies coach Britt Oubre said. “We got runners onbase and got a few timely hits.”Cretin Homes opened the scoring with three runs in the top of the second.

Gonzales led off the inning by reaching on an error by Kelly at second and advancing on a single by Monica to right.

One out later, Rogers chased down Ricky Madere’s fly ball into left-center.

Toby Jacob followed with a single to center, bringing in Gonzales to make it 1-0.

Mike Mustian then singled to center, scoring Monica. Jacob also came inand Mustian advanced to second as the ball skipped past Rogers.

Walks by Brian Horvath and Jason Waguespack loaded the bases with two outs. Matt Fisse then lofted a fly ball into right-center field with Rogersracing over to make the catch.

Cretin Homes would be held to walks by Madere in the fourth and LaPorte in the sixth the rest of the way.

“We keep allowing the big inning,” Cretin Homes coach Frank Monica said.

“We are not swinging the bats well, we are not getting good pitching or good defense. In the three aspects of the game, we are not doing anythingin any one of them.”

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