Comets defeat Rebels
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, March 4, 2009
By RYAN ARENA
Sports Editor
In his last two starts against rival Riverside, St. Charles pitcher Brandon Becker had come up on the short side of things.
So, drawing the start against the Rebels in the final game of the St. Charles Comet Classic tournament on Sunday, Becker reassured himself a bit.
“I just figured third time’s the charm,” he said.
It was on Sunday. Becker earned the win as the Comets beat Riverside 10-4 in six innings in LaPlace.
The game was called in the sixth due to darkness.
SCC (4-0-1) finished 4-0 in the tourney. Riverside (1-4) left the Classic with a 1-3 mark.
Becker (1-0) went 5.2 innings, struck out five, and two earned runs on six hits.
The most important outs he earned came in the fifth inning. After Alex Marse came on in relief, Riverside’s Bryant Tassin and Trevor Kenney knocked in runs to turn a six run SCC lead into a 8-4 advantage with one out.
SCC coach Paul Waguespack called upon Becker, who moved to first, to reenter the game. After allowing a single to Jake Roussel to load the bases, Becker fielded a high chopper hit by Dylan Becnel. He got the force out at home, and Matt Bonnecarre fired the ball to first for an inning ending double-play.
“I was kind of nervous,” he said. “But I knew I had to just hit my spots, and our defense would make the plays.”
He helped his own cause at the plate as well with three RBIs. But the biggest offensive surge came from Keith White, who finished 1-for-1 with a career high four RBIs.
“It feels good,” White said. “I just went out and did what my coaches told me to do technique wise.”
Tassin took the loss for Riverside.
The Comets jumped out ahead early. After taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning, St. Charles led off the second with back to back singles by D.J. Wesley and Grant Authement. After a ground out that advanced the runners, Matt Bonnecarre walked to load the bases for White, who grounded out to second to bring home a run.
Alex Marse walked and James Krawczyk reached on catcher interference, plating another run to make it 3-0. That set up Becker’s two-RBI double to deep right. Nick Reine followed with an RBI single, making it 6-0.
White’s two-run double in the third pushed the lead to 8-0.
Riverside scored two runs in each of the next two innings, but couldn’t gain traction from there.
“We played well,” said Waguespack. “I was a little disappointed that we relaxed a little when we were up big. But we wanted to go 4-0 in this tournament and we did that.”
COMETS SURVIVE KATZ’S HEROICS TO TOP JESUIT – Despite three home runs and six RBIs by LSU signee Mason Katz, St. Charles edged Jesuit 9-8 on Sunday.
“He’s not going to LSU for nothing. He’s a real strong player,” said Waguespack. “But anytime you beat a Jesuit, it’s real big.”
Wesley was the Comets’ main offensive counter. He went 3-for-4 with five RBIs to lead SCC. Krawczyk doubled twice and added an RBI.
SCC led 9-6 in the seventh inning when Katz’s final home run, a two-run shot, cut the lead to one.
But Brady Hitt retired two of the last three Blue Jay batters to earn the save.
Jared Keating took the win for SCC.
The Comets rode a nine run first inning to beat De La Salle Saturday, 15-4.
Cody McMurray captured the win, striking out four and allowing one hit in 2.2 innings. He also hit a 3-run home run.
The Comets edged Sterlington in SCC’s first tourney game, 4-3 on Friday.
Nick Reine’s three-run home run in the fifth inning lifted the Comets to a comeback victory.
Henri Faucheux went the complete game to earn the win, striking out nine and allowing five hits and a walk.
REBELS TROUNCE DE LA SALLE, LOSE TWO – Dylan Martin went 2-for-3 with four RBIs to lead Riverside to a 15-5 victory over De La Salle in five innings at the Comet Classic on Saturday morning.
Chase Bazile and Remi Poirrier each had two RBIs for RA.
Terrio notched the win, striking out nine in a complete game effort.
But the Rebels couldn’t match the feat later that afternoon, falling to Jesuit 14-8.
Jesuit scored 8 third inning runs and tacked on four more in the fourth to take a 13-3 lead that RA never recovered from.
Martin and Roussel each were 3-for-3 with an RBI for Riverside. Remi Poirrier added two RBIs.
Dylan Becnel started and took the loss.
On Friday, Sterlington beat Riverside 12-1.
Bazile drove in the lone Rebel run. Martin took the loss.