By ROBERT L. LEE

LAPLACE – Thursday night’s pitching battle between the Comets and the Bulldogs was a matter of seeing who would break the ice and come out with a lead, or a run at all. The trophy for such a victory, not just a win over a cross-town rival, but the status of having the first place and only undefeated record in district. Both teams entered St. Charles Catholic’s ball park with 3-0 district records, although on paper, the Bulldogs held the slight advantage with an overall 11-3 record, compared to the Comets’ 7-4 tally.

Lutcher’s Randy Waguespack struck out seven batters and allowed two hits in his almost six innings of play, while St. Charles Catholic’s Jason Waguespack pitched a complete game to strike out 11 and allow four hits and one earned run.

“I am just glad to come out on a battle like that,” said Bulldogs’ coach Scott Tribble. “It was a pitching battle. Jason Waguespack was on the top of his game, fortunately so was Randy Waguespack. It was just a matter of who would come out on top the pitching battle first.”

Neither home-field advantage nor prior record advantage could overcome the pitching duo to help either team score through the first four innings. In the fifth inning, the Bulldogs finally got their break. Lutcher’s Jordie Perilloux landed a position at first base off a Comet error, which then set up Chris Guidry for an RBI, when he knocked the ball out of right field for a home run and the 2-0 lead.

The St. Charles Comets fought back to put one run on the board when a shot to center field gave the Comets enough time to send one runner home. The Bulldogs put up one more run in the seventh and final inning, but the Comets could not answer and put a 3-1 loss on their district record.

“Chris Guidry was a tremendous player for us,” continued Tribble. “He and the offense came through for us, it was a team effort. It was a very, very good ball game, the kind you might watch all the way through to the championship.”

Before the Bulldogs managed to put a run on the board, Tribble told his team they needed to just try and put the ball in play. He said both teams had the opportunities to score as early as the first inning, but when the Bulldogs had runners in position, “they shut us out. They had the opportunity a couple of times and we got out of it. I kind of thought 1-0 was going to win it,” Tribble continued. “I knew the pitchers were going to steal the show. Both Waguespacks did a great job on the mound.”

The Comets will have a chance to defeat the Bulldogs again on April 4, when the rounds of district play rotate for a second and eventually third time. Thursday’s matchup began the first of three rounds for Lutcher, which plays four teams in each round for a total of 12 district games. Next on the Bulldogs’ district schedule is a game at E.D. White Tuesday, followed by St. James and Donaldsonville.

“Fortunately we came out of St. Charles Catholic with a win,” said Tribble. “Unfortunately we still have to play two more rounds. We are just going to keep working and take it one day at a time.”