MICHAEL KIRAL

Pitching leads 3-1 district victory

PHOTO: ST. CHARLES CATHOLIC’S MICHAEL BONURA retired the final four St. James batters of the game to preserve a 3-1 victory Thursday afternoon. (Staff Photo by Michael Kiral) ST. JAMES – Toby Jacob and Michael Bonura combined on a three-hitter and Andrew Revall homered and drove in two runs to lead St. Charles Catholic to a 3-1 victory at St. James in District 9-3A play Thursday afternoon. St. Charles Catholic improved to 5-9 overall and 1-1 in district. St. James is also 1-1 in district and 5-8 overall. Both teams had two-out rallies in the first inning. In the top of the inning, Jason Waguespack singled to left and Jacob reached on an error before St. James starter Seth Folse got Chris Cancienne hit back to the mound for the third out. In the bottom half, Edmond Morion singled to center and Folse walked but Jacob got Paul Oubre to ground out to third to end the inning. Revall led off the second with a home run over the right field wall. Jeremy Triche followed with a single but courtesy runner Brad Millet was caught off the bag as Justin Chauvin flew out to right on a hit-and-run. The Comets used a two-out rally to take a 2-0 lead in the fourth. Chauvin got it started with a walk and Boucvalt followed with a single to left. After Mike Mustian walked to load the bases, Chris Poche reached on an error as Chauvin scored. Cancienne doubled to right with one out in the fifth and went to third on a wild pitch an out later but Folse got Triche to fly out to right for the third out. Jacob retired 10 in a row before Jason Rome walked with one out in the fifth. Chris Hymel walked an out later, but Thaddeus Sutherland popped up to second to end the inning. Boyd Laurent led off the sixth with a single up the middle. An out later, Folse walked. With two outs, Anthony Nassar came through with a single to left, scoring Laurent to make it 2-1. Folse went to third on the play with Nassar pulling into second. With a 2-0 count on Rome, Bonura came in to pitch and struck him out to preserve the lead. St. Charles Catholic added an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Waguespack and Jacob led off the inning with singles and moved up on a wild pitch. Cancienne grounded out to third but Revall followed with a drive to deep left. Waguespack scored but Jacob was caught in a rundown between third and home. Revall was caught off second, ending the inning. “We had them on the ropes but we couldn’t deliver the knockout punch,” St. Charles Catholic head coach Paul Waguespack said. “We couldn’t get the timely hit. But I’m ecstatic to get the first one (in district).” Bonura retired the side in order in the bottom of the inning, striking out two, to get the save. Jacob (1-1) got the win, giving up one earned run on three hits and four walks while striking out four. Folse took the loss after giving up two earned runs on eight hits and five walks. “We got ourselves in some bad pitch counts,” St. James head coach Marty Luquet said. “You want to get your pitches in there for strikes and make them hit them at your guys and he did that.”