By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

LAPLACE — With the bases loaded in the fifth inning, Dunham’s Tyler Moore swung his bat. In the process, he swung the game.

Moore blasted a 0-2 curveball over the fence in right center at Comet Field to erase a 4-0 St. Charles lead. He’d hit another home run in extra innings to lift his Tigers into a lead, one they’d extend and ultimately hold in an 8-4 victory in a Class 2A quarterfinal game Monday.

“I’m devastated,” said St. Charles coach Paul Waguespack. “The guy I didn’t want to beat us, beat us. I said all along I wouldn’t let him beat us. I feel like I let my kids down today.”

Dunham will face No. 2 seed Evangel at the state baseball tournament this weekend in Shreveport.

Moore, Dunham’s catcher and an LSU signee, went 4 for 5 with the two home runs and five RBIs.

With ace Jared Keating on the mound, St. Charles (24-12) seemed to be cruising with a 4-0 lead and two outs in the top of the fifth inning. But a seemingly innocuous walk to Dunham’s ninth hitter, Ben Wallace turned into a far bigger problem after Dillon McDugle reached on an infield single, then John Baker blooped one into the outfield to load the bases for Moore.

Keating got ahead of Moore, 0-2, but Moore locked onto a curveball and sent the Dunham dugout into hysterics upon tying the game.

“It was definitely the biggest home run I’ve hit,” said Moore. “I can’t even describe the feeling. We’ve worked so hard to get to state and now we’re finally going.”

Said Waguespack, “In that spot, what do you do, walk him and force in the run? But it’s only one run. Looking back, I do feel like we should have walked him.”

Though Dunham (27-4) shifted momentum there, St. Charles wouldn’t fall apart. The Comets and Tigers went to a stalemate over the next two innings.

In the bottom of the seventh, however, the Comets created their best chance to win. Keating drew a walk to lead off the inning and Brady Hitt bunted him over to second base. Dunham intentionally walked Shane McNeil, then reliever Ryan Mockler walked Macky Cortez to load the bases with one out.

Chad McNeil hit a fly ball to left field, but it wasn’t deep enough for the Comets to comfortably send Keating home from third.

“One out, bases loaded, to send or not send … it was a 50-50 type of play,” said Waguespack.

Brandon Zimmer, fresh off of clutch hits in the Comets’ previous two playoff games, was SCC’s final chance to cash in. But Mockler, who would improve to 12-0 this season with the win, struck him out to send it to extra innings.

Moore led off the eighth and blasted his second home run of the day, a solo shot, to make it 5-4. Aaron Johnson, another LSU signee, blasted a double to finally chase Keating, who to that point had pitched all 21 of SCC’s postseason innings. Cody McMurry came on in relief and quickly got two outs. But Johnson scored on a passed ball to make it 6-4. Russ Viguerie reached on an error, then Will Cox drew a walk. Wallace knocked in the seventh run on an RBI single, then McMurry walked McDugle to load the bases.

Waguespack called on Hitt to come on in relief, but Baker would draw a walk from him to force in Dunham’s eighth run. Hitt retired Moore to end the inning.

In the bottom of the eighth, Donnie Savoie drew a walk to lead things off. But Mockler got Jeffrey Hall and Luke Poche to fly out before striking out Keating to end the game.

The Comets jumped on top of the Tigers 2-0 in the second inning. After Chad McNeil and Zimmer each walked and Savoie was hit by a pitch, Poche came up with one out and knocked a single down the right field line and knocked in two runs.

In the bottom of third, SCC tacked on two more runs. Hitt banged a double off the wall to lead off the inning and Shane McNeil was hit by a pitch. A run scored when Chad McNeil reached on an error. Another scored when the Comets called for a double steal attempt, with Chad McNeil getting caught in an intentional rundown while Shane McNeil scored from third before the out was recorded at first.

But Dunham would score the final eight runs of the game, sealing a trip to the state semifinals.

“We had our chances, we just didn’t finish it,” said Waguespack. “It’s like coach Ty (Monica) said, they got hits in key situations. We didn’t.”