By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — St. Charles Catholic coach Wayne Stein braced his team for a challenge Tuesday, his team pitted against South Beauregard and ace pitcher Nick Lee, whom had lost just once all season. 

Stein’s roster full of postseason veterans were up to the challenge. St. Charles rapped out 13 hits, 10 off of Lee, and scored eight runs over the first three innings en route to a 14-4 victory.

With the win, St. Charles advanced to the quarterfinals for the second time in the last three seasons.  The Comets will travel to face second-seeded Evangel at 5 p.m. Monday. 

Mason Bordelon (7-3) earned the complete-game win, going seven innings and allowing four runs on four hits while striking out five. 

“He really wasn’t as sharp as he is usually,” said Stein. “But even on days when he doesn’t have his best stuff, Mason keeps grinding. And it’s always a huge lift when you have guys going complete games.”

At the plate, five different Comets had two hits or more, led by Connor Western’s 3 for 3, two RBI performance. Eian Mitchell went 2 for 3 with three RBIs. Brandon Klibert was 2 for 3 with two RBIs. Dane Authement went 2 for 3 and Austin Weber went 2 for 5. Kameron Keller drove in two runs as well.

SCC loaded the bases in the first inning on Lee, who walked in SCC’s first run of the game. Weber stole home to make it 2-0. Keller, Authement and Western each drove in runs in the second inning to get the Comets rolling, Western driving his home on a double. 

The 10th seeded Comets (24-9) scored two runs in the first, four in the second and two more in the third to take an 8-3 lead. Bordelon allowed just one more run after the second and SCC slammed the door in the seventh with a five-run inning.

Lee, who has been offered a scholarship by LSU, dropped to 14-2.

Stein said that the game plan was to put as many balls in play as possible to put pressure on a young South Beauregard defense. 

“(Lee) was very good,” said Stein. “But besides him, they’re very young. Our kids did a great job preparing for the moment and then executing. We jumped on them early and ran (Lee) in the sixth.”

South Beauregard finished their season with a record of 28-6. It was the best win total in the history of the program. 

Stein credited his team’s experience in a large way.

“These kids understand what the postseason is all about. They’ve made deep playoff runs. South Beauregard hadn’t been past this point and I really thought our experience showed.”

“We played a very difficult schedule. Our record isn’t as gaudy as some others, but it prepared us for these kind of games.”