By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

GEISMAR – It was a battle of 2009 state runner-ups on Tuesday as Dutchtown hosted St. Charles Catholic.

The Griffins rallied from a 3-1 deficit to score five runs in the fifth inning, setting up a 6-4 win in the season opener for both teams.

Dutchtown was the Class 5A runner-up last season. St. Charles (0-1) was runner-up in Class 3A, though the Comets have moved back to Class 2A this season.

“We were very fortunate to come away with this one,” said Dutchtown coach Chris Schexnaydre. “St. Charles ran three pretty good arms at us today. It was a good test.”

Jared Keating and Brandon Becker each hit home runs in the game. Shane McNeil went 2-for-3.

But St. Charles loaded the bases twice — in the fourth and fifth innings — and came away with only a single run to show for it.

“We didn’t get clutch hits,” said St. Charles coach Paul Waguespack.

St. Charles starter Marc Picciola (0-1) lasted 4.2 innings and allowed two earned runs on five hits and two walks. He struck out seven Griffins.

Garrette Rayburn (1-0) earned the victory for Dutchtown in relief. He allowed a run and struck out a batter.

Brandon Ballard was 1-for-2 with two RBIs for Dutchtown. Jacob Williams was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.

After two scoreless innings, St. Charles struck first with solo home runs in the third and fourth innings by Keating and Becker, respectively.

Dutchtown (1-0) answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth, but Picciola doubled home a run in the fifth to push SCC’s lead back to two.

But two St. Charles errors contributed to a big fifth inning for Dutchtown, which scored five runs to take control of the game.

“Two errors led directly to five runs,” said Waguespack. “We walked the leadoff man. They string together a few hits, and it gets away from you.”

St. Charles turns its attention today to the Jani-King Comet Classic, which offers a typically beefed-up roster of teams. SCC was scheduled to face its second straight state-runner up in Class 2A Sterlington on Friday (after presstime). Today, the Comets will face Class 5A Jesuit and conclude tourney action with rival Riverside in a preview of a district matchup.

“We feel like if we can come out of this weekend at .500, we’ve done what we wanted to do,” said Waguespack.

“It’ll be tough, and then we’ve got Holy Cross, which isn’t any easier. But if we’re at .500 before our Monroe trip, we’re in good shape.”