By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur
LAPLACE – E.D. White clinched the District 7-3A championship this week after notching a pair of victories over St. Charles Catholic, 2-1 at E.D. White Tuesday and 5-0 in LaPlace Thursday.
Ranked third in 3A power points, EDW  (23-4, 10-0) officially clinched the league outright with its victory Tuesday; denying SCC (15-14, 7-3) a shot at a split crown.
Logan Barbera’s RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning proved to be the game-winner for E.D. White Tuesday, his base hit to right scoring Brett Duet, who doubled earlier.
St. Charles took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on Austin Weber’s RBI single up the middle. Chad McNeil’s single with two outs set it up.
E.D. White tied things up in the third inning on Duet’s RBI single, which scored Seth Gravois.
SCC had chances. Weber led off the fourth inning with a single and Luke Poche bunted his way on when E.D. White attempted to get Weber at second and failed. After a Brandon Zimmer strikeout and a flyout by Dylan Gillies, Brandon Klibert drew a walk to load the bases. But ED White pitcher Scott Szuch struck out Connor Smith to end the threat.
In the seventh inning, the Comets left the bases loaded again after Ian Mitchell was hit by a pitch and Kameron Keller singled. The Cardinals intentionally walked McNeil to load the bases with two outs, but Szuch got Weber to ground out to secure the win.
The Comets left nine baserunners on, including six in scoring position.
Szuch, an SLU commitment, went the complete game, allowing one earned run on five hits and two walks. He remains undefeated this season with a record of 9-0.
McNeil (5-3) went 5.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits and three walks. He struck out three. Weber came on in relief to retire the lone batter he faced.
McNeil went 2 for 3 at the plate with a double. Weber went 2 for 4.
On Thursday, E.D. White scored all five of its runs in the second inning.
Payton Caddou singled to lead off and Nick Waguespack walked. E.D. White executed a double steal and with one out, Justin Theriot executed a squeeze play to score a run – the Comets committed an error on the play and another run scored to make it 2-0.
Gravois then hit a two-run home run to left to make it 4-0. Jace Toups tripled and Nick Falgoust collected an RBI on another squeeze play to make it 5-0.
Caddou (7-1), a UNO commitment, went all seven innings to record a four-hit shutout.
Smith (3-5) went 1.1 innings and allowing four runs on two hits and two walks. Weber went 3.2 innings in relief, allowing one hit and one earned run. David Bleakley finished the game, tossing two innings of two hit, scoreless ball.