MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / April 21, 2000

BOUTTE – Hahnville and Destrehan have played some close ball games throughout their long rivalry. But few have been as close as Thursdayafternoon’s game at Hahnville.

Jeff Vitrano went back to the wall to snare Erik Donnaud’s long fly ball down the left field line in the bottom of the seventh, starting a double play to preserve Destrehan’s 6-4 victory in the battle for first place in District 7- 5A.

Destrehan, which has completed its district season, improved to 11-1 in district and 18-12 overall. Hahnville fell to 19-6 overall and 10-1 in district.The Tigers have a game at Thibodaux remaining Tuesday. The victory was thefirst for Destrehan over Hahnville since 1996.

“I’m happy for the kids,” Destrehan coach Mark Willoughby said. “It’s like webroke through a barrier. We had lost so many close games this season. Theydeserved this. They’ve worked so hard. It’s a big win for us, especiallyagainst Hahnville. We did what we had to do.”Craig Naquin closed the door for Destrehan, retiring seven batters in a row after relieving Randy Roth with two outs in the fourth. Matt Caire broke thestring by leading off the seventh with a walk with the Tigers trailing 6-4.

After courtesy runner Ryan Burke went to second on an errant pickoff throw and Brian Risinger struck out, Kade Rogers was hit by a pitch and Williams walked to load the bases.

Donnaud, who had homered twice in the game, then took a 2-2 pitch from Naquin deep to left field. Vitrano backed up, catching the ball at the wall asBurke tagged up and scored. But shortstop Fred Smith took the cutoff throwand threw to second baseman Marty Boudreaux who tagged Williams between first and second, negating the run and ending the game.

“I thought it was gone,” Naquin said. “I saw Jeff go back against the wall andput his glove up. I thank God he caught the ball.”Naquin picked up the win to improve to 6-1 on the season, striking out five and allowing two walks in 3 1/3 innings. Roth started for the Wildcats,allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out three in 3 2/3 innings.

Roth put the Wildcats ahead with a three-run home run off Risinger in the fifth. Destrehan trailed 4-1 heading into the inning before Donnie Hollis ledoff with a ground-rule double to the right-center field wall. Todd Picou thensent a fly ball into the left-center field gap that glanced off left fielder Tim Sirmon’s glove, putting runners on the corners. Boudreaux followed bybeating out a bunt to the right side of the infield, scoring courtesy runner Shane LeBoyd to cut the deficit to 4-2.

Michael Catalano sacrificed both runners over with a bunt back to Risinger.

Roth then took a 1-1 fastball over the left-center field wall, giving the Wildcats a 5-4 lead.

“Their pitchers throw a lot of fastballs,” Roth said. “The first two pitcheswere fastballs and coach told us to swing the sticks. The ball was right thereand I connected.”Destrehan added a run on Hollis’ home run to left field to lead off the sixth inning.

Hahnville jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Rogers led offthe inning with a single and scored ahead of Donnaud’s home run to left field one out later. With two outs, Sirmon beat out a bunt to third base andscored as Mike Picard lined a double into left-center field.

Destrehan got a run in the top of the second as Larry Matherne led off with a double into the left field corner. Danny Krieger then grounded back toRisinger who threw to first for the out. Matherne broke for third and scoredas first baseman Jarred Farrell’s throw skipped past third.

The Tigers got that run back in the third as Donnaud took a 2-0 pitch from Roth with one out and lined it over the left-center field wall, giving Hahnville a 4-1 lead.

Risinger started for the Tigers, giving up four earned runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out six. Donnaud came in with one out in the sixth andgave up two hits while striking out two.

“Our hat’s off to Destrehan and coach Willoughby,” Hahnville coach Mark Sims said. “They deserved it. They played great.”

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