By JOHNNY PEPPO

Sports Editor

LAPLACE – The St. Charles Catholic Comet Classic opened play Thursday with a fittingly classic finish that saw Lutcher just a strike away from taking their second win of the year. But SCC’s Philip Sutton saved the Comets from suffering their first loss this season when he stole home with two outs as teammate Nick Reine approaching a full count at the plate.

It was an exciting play in an exciting game that featured scores in every inning but the fifth. It was Sutton that put the Comets first run on the board when he hit a fielder’s choice that scored a pair after an overthrow to first as Lutcher tried to turn two. With the Bulldogs two runs to open the game, it went to the top of the second tied at 2-2.

Jerome Bradford put LHS back in the lead after he got an infield single and scored on a hit to center field by Jordan Hymel. St. Charles followed the same script in the bottom half though, with Quinn LeBlanc sacrifice flying to center field to score Matt Walters, who had reached on a sharp shot past third.

SCC started to gain an advantage in the third when they held the Bulldogs to an RBI single by Brandon Smith in the top of the side, then pushed in three runs in their at-bat. It started with Kyle Faucheaux who reached as the opening batter and got to second on an error. Sutton, B.J. Cancienne and Nick Reine each took a walk to score Faucheaux and Matt Eriksen drove in Sutton and Cancienne with a shot to deep center field. Lutcher coach Davey Clement moved Jordan Hymel to the mound and he stopped the bleeding with two ground outs to end the inning.

Bradford got the Bulldogs jumpstarted in the top of the fourth with a triple to open the inning. He scored on a double steal to close the gap to 7-5. St. Charles put B.J. Cancienne on the mound to start the fifth, and got the Bulldogs down to one out remaining with a pair of base runners on. Joey Bourgeois knocked one in with a shot that dropped over second base and Landon Smith gave Lutcher an 8-7 lead with a single through the shortstop gap.

It stayed that way through the next inning, setting the stage for the dramatic finish. Sutton reached on a single past shortstop and advanced to third on an overthrown ball that made it to the dugout cement.

&#8220He got two bases on that throw,” Clement said of the final exchange. &#8220That put him in position to be able to go for the tie. We just couldn’t get that last out in time.”

Lutcher had another chance to pick up a win though, as the Bulldogs are set to play again in the SCC Classic today against Ridgewood. St. Charles plays the early game against Ridgewood before both the Comets and the Bulldogs take on Riverside in an afternoon double-header.

Lady Bulldog softball will also be back in action this weekend, in the St. Amant tournament. Last Saturday, Lutcher picked up a win at Riverside as Katie Dufrene led the charge in a rally that saw the Lady Bulldogs take the lead with a pair of scores in the top of the seventh.