MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / March 13, 2000

LUTCHER – Risley St. Germain’s two-out double in the fifth inning brought inTray Haydel with the go-ahead run as Lutcher rallied for a 5-3 victory over St. Charles Catholic Thursday afternoon at Bulldog Field.Lutcher improved to 8-1 overall and 1-0 in District 9-3A. St. Charles Catholicfell to 3-5 overall and 0-1 in district play.

Matt Roussel (2-0) picked up the victory in relief of starter Damian Ursin. BoLouque got the save after pitching out of a no-out, bases loaded jam in the seventh inning. Jason LaPorte took the loss for the Comets.Trailing 3-2 heading into the bottom of the fifth, Rusty Crosslin laced his second double of the game into the left-center field gap to lead off the inning for the Bulldogs. LaPorte then struck out Dustin Deslatte but Haydel followedwith a single to left, sending Crosslin to third.

After Haydel stole second, Crosslin scored on a wild pitch to tie the score at 3. Damian Ursin struck out for the second out but St. Germain followed bytaking LaPorte’s first pitch and lining it inside the left field foul line, scoring Haydel for a 4-3 lead. Lee Poche brought St. Germain in with a single to left,making it 5-3. Dustin Braud came in to pitch for the Comets and got Pochetrying to steal second to end the inning.

St. Charles Catholic threatened in each of the final two innings. With one outin the sixth, Braud singled to right-center but was picked off by St. Germain.LaPorte and Ricky Madere followed with walks and Jason Rauch was hit by a pitch to load the bases. But St. Germain, who had relieved Roussel before theinning, struck out Jeremy Triche to end the frame.

The Comets again loaded the bases in the seventh. Mike Mustian led off witha walk and Jason Waguespack reached on a fielder’s choice as Deslatte’s throw to second was high.

St. Germain then hit Nick Monica with a pitch and was replaced by Louque.Louque got Toby Jacob and Braud to ground to third and first, respectively with Mustian and Waguespack being forced at the plate. Louque then gotLaPorte to pop up to Haydel in short center for the final out.

“It took a lot of us to squeak past that one,” Lutcher coach Scott Tribble said. “It was a combined effort. We didn’t get the big hit at the beginning ofthe game but we finally came through in the fifth. We’ve been squeaking bywith the tough hits but we’ve got to pick it up.”St. Charles Catholic had taken a 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth as Trichedoubled to right with one out and scored on a two-base throwing error by Haydel.

Lutcher took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third. Crosslin led off with adouble to left-center and went to third on a bunt by Deslatte. Deslattereached as Jacob bobbled the ball along the third baseline. Haydel was hit by apitch by LaPorte to load the bases.

Ursin drew a walk to bring in Crosslin to tie the game. St. Germain groundedinto a double play to short but courtesy runner Terry Millet came in to score, making it 2-1.

St. Charles Catholic got on the scoreboard first in the top of the third asRicky madere led off with a single to left, went to second on a sacrifice by Rauch and advanced to third on a wild pitch by Ursin. Madere was then caughtin a rundown as Triche missed a squeeze attempt but scored as St.

Germain’s throw hit him in the back.

Ursin started the game and went four innings, giving up two runs, one earned, on two hits nd three walks. He also struck out five. Roussel pitchedone inning, giving up an unearned run on one hit while striking out one. St.Germain also went an inning, walking three, giving up a hit and striking out one.

LaPorte went 4 2/3 innings, giving up five runs, four earned, on seven hits and two walks while striking out five.

“I thought we competed but we are lacking baseball savvy right now,” St.

Charles Catholic coach Frank Monica said. ” Being young is no longer anexcuse. We made a couple of mistakes on 0-2 pitches and they got big hits.But you have to give them credit. They are a good baseball team. It’s a longseason and we still are finding out which way this team will go.”

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