By GEORGE MAHL – Sports Editor

GONZALES – The St. Charles Catholic baseball team was scheduled to play their quarterfinal playoff game at home against Amite this past Monday.

That did not happen.

Then, they were supposed to play Tuesday at 12:30 p.m at home.

That did not happen either.

What did happen was the Comets ended up playing and defeating Amite, 7-4, Tuesday afternoon at East Ascension High School.

Jesse Martin pitched six innings and elevated the Comets into the semifinals of the 3A state tournament.

Jeremy Catoire came in the seventh inning to finish off the Warriors.

“Jesse really gutted it out for us today,” said St. Charles Catholic Head Coach Paul Waguespack.

“It is nice to be able to have the luxury of having your number one and number two starters available,” he said.

The Comets scored two runs in each of the first three innings. In the bottom of the first, the Comets got on the scoreboard first when first-baseman Billie Poche singled home Matt Sutton from third to make the score 1-0. With the bases loaded, Poche scored the inning’s second run of the game. He walked home from third base when Amite starting pitcher Ricky Mercier walked his fifth batter of the inning.

The Warriors got on the board in the top of the second. After Walter Mason flied out to center, third baseman John Thompson smashed a solo homerun to left, making the score 2-1.

St. Charles Catholic responded with two more runs on the board in the bottom of the inning. A lead-off triple from Casey Robottom paved the way for the Comet’s third run of the game. He then scored when Sutton, who had been on first base with a walk, elected to steal second. When Sutton ran to second, Robottom took off for home.

Sutton then scored on a basehit from Martin. This made it 4-1 Comets.

It was 6-1 at the end of the third inning. Jeremy Poche led off then bottom of the third with a walk, moved to second on a balk and scored when Adam Millet smashed a double, scoring Poche. Millet then scored from second on a passed ball with one out.

A 6-1 lead became a 6-3 lead in the fourth. Amite scored two runs on four hits in the fourth innings.

Reb Bel led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a walk. He then scored on a single from Thompson, cutting the deficit to 6-2. Mike Petitto then singled home the inning’s second run of the inning. His hit plated Adam Warren.

Catoire entered the game in the top of the seventh. After he got Mercier to ground out, Richie Field singled and advanced to second on a walk to Warren.

Mason, the designated hitter, then singled home Field from second.

With runners on first and third and two outs, Catoire got Thompson to strikeout to end the game.