Michael Kiral / L’Observateur / June 3, 1998

KENNER – Shortstop Steven Rowell provided the offense and second baseman Jeremy Collins the defense as the Grillot Company’s middle infielders keyed its 8-6 victory over the Lutcher Dugout Club Monday afternoon at Bonnabel High School.

Rowell went 4-for-4, scored three runs and knocked in two others with a home run. Collins nabbed Cleavon Webster’s liner with two outs in the topof the seventh.

Grillot Company starter Phil Babin (1-0) went the distance, allowing nine hits while striking out 13 and walking two. Lutcher starter Jared Babin(0-1) went four innings, allowing nine hits while striking out three and walking three.

Grillot, comprised of players from Ridgewood, jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on singles by Rowell and Jody Vidrine. Lutcher tiedthe game in the top of the second as Webster singled to center with one out. One out later, Jeremy Martin walked and Lane Vicknair grounded asingle to right to score Webster.

Grillot regained the lead in the bottom of the inning as Collins walked with two outs and came around to score on a double by Babin. Lutcheranswered again in the top of the third as Wesley Louque led off the inning with a single, was sacrificed to second by David Miller, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Damian Ursin’s single to left.

Bucky Case’s leadoff home run gave Grillot a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the third. Lutcher bouncedback once again in the fourth as Martin singled to center with one out and advanced to second as the ball got past Kase.

Vicknair followed with a short fly ball to left field. Bryson LeBlanc dovefor the ball but had it pop out of his glove when he hit the ground as Vicknair pulled into second. Rob Bleakley then took Babin’s first pitch andlined it over the left field wall, giving Lutcher a 5-3 lead.

Kase led off the bottom of the fifth with a walk and Rowell followed by hitting the first pitch from Babin over the center field wall to tie the score. Vidrine followed with a single before Babin was replaced on themound by Rusty Crosslin.

Crosslin walked Jeff Strahan before Nick Pappas sacrificed both runners along. Keith Champagne followed with a single to left to score Vidrinewith the go head run.

Walks by Collins and Babin forced in courtesy runner Jason Lisotta to make the score 7-5. Tray Haydel then came in to pitch and after walkingLeBlanc, got Kase to pop up to short to end the inning.

Lutcher cut the deficit in half in the top of the sixth as Martin led off with a walk, went to third as Babin’s pick-off throw went into right field and scored on a wild pitch. Grillot got the run back in the bottom of theframe as Rowell lined a double to left to leadoff the inning, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Pappas’ sacrifice fly to center.

Lutcher threatened in the top of the seventh as Ursin beat out a grounder to short. Webster then lined a 2-1 pitch toward right but Collins reachedup to pluck the ball out of the air to end the game.

Photo: THE LUTCHER DUGOUT CLUB’S ROB BLEAKLEY is greeted at the plate by his teammates after hitting a three-run home run in the fourth inning Monday afternoon. (Staff Photo by Michael Kiral)

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