Lutcher, St. Charles Catholic advance to state baseball finals with shutout wins

BASEBALL BRACKETS

Non-Select
DIVISION I   |   DIVISION II   |   DIVISION III
DIVISION IV   | DIVISION V

Select
DIVISION I   |   DIVISION II   |   DIVISION III
DIVISION IV  | DIVISION V

When you are the top seed and when you are a recent state champion, you have enjoyed the experience of being experienced in big games.

You are also the target.

River parish stalwarts Lutcher and St. Charles Catholic each handled the pressure well Wednesday. Make that very well.

Top-seeded Lutcher shut out No. 12 Iowa 5-0 in the Non-Select Division II semifinals at McMurry Park in Sulphur.

When you have the best player on the field and he is dominant on the mound and at the plate, you are going to win.

Lutcher had that in Marshall Louque.

The LSU commit pitched a complete game five-hitter and struck out eight, walking just one, using 104 pitches. Louque belted a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning to provide the Bulldogs and himself with all the run support he would need.

Brock Louque, who had two hits and scored twice, singled and Caleb Hastings walked ahead of Louque’s three-run homer.

Lutcher added a run in the third inning on an RBI double by Luke Babin and posted its final run on an RBI single by Quinn Smith in the sixth inning.

LSU-Eunice commit Cole Corbello took the loss for the Yellow Jackets, allowing five runs on eight hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Tyler Lavergne had two hits.

The Bulldogs (30-7) won the state championship in 2022 and reached the final in 2021. They will play for the title Saturday at 2 p.m. at McMurry Park against No. 6 seed North Vermilion.

The Patriots eliminated No. 10 Pearl River 6-1.

Isaac Russell pitched a complete game victory.

Devin Blanchard put North Vermilion on top with an RBI single in the bottom of the second inning before the Patriots distanced themselves with four runs in the third inning on a bases loaded walk, a fielder’s choice scoring a run and a two-run single by Cole Lejeune to make it 5-0.

North Vermilion added its final run in the bottom of the sixth inning and Pearl River (29-11) scored its run in the top of the seventh on an RBI single by Delgado commit Trey Turnage.

Starter Drake Sticker took the loss for the Rebels. Palmer Felger paced the offense with two hits.

In Select Division III, top-seed St. Charles Catholic kept its hopes alive for a three-peat, edging No. 4 Holy Savior Menard 1-0.

In a pitcher’s duel, senior Brady St. Pierre hurled a three-hitter, with one walk and one strikeout and the Comets played excellent defense behind him. St. Pierre used just 56 pitches.

St. Charles Catholic had just two hits but maximized those as Noah Troxclair drilled a two-out, RBI double in the bottom of the second inning and St. Pierre made it hold up. Dax Pregeant had the other hit for the Comets, a single, and he was outstanding defensively at third base.

Coen Laroux pitched a terrific game in a losing cause, allowing just one run on two hits with four walks and a strikeout. Drake Aldredge, Ben Wade and Laroux each had hit for the Eagles.

St. Charles defeated Holy Savior Menard 9-1 in last year’s final.

The Comets (30-8) are in the state title game for a fourth straight time, searching for a third straight championship under Wayne Stein. St. Charles Catholic will play No. 3 University Lab, who edged rival No. 2 Parkview Baptist 3-2. The final is Friday at 5:30 p.m. at McMurry Park.

The title game will be another rematch.

St. Charles Catholic downed University Lab two games to one in the 2023 Select Division III quarterfinals.

LHSAA Prep Baseball Semifinal Results from Wednesday, May 8

Non-Select Division II

(1) Lutcher 5, (12) Iowa 0

(6) North Vermilion 6, (10) Pearl River 1

Non-Select Division III

(1) South Beauregard 6, (5) Doyle 1

(2) Sterlington 10, (14) Berwick 0

Select Division III

(1) St. Charles Catholic 1, (4) Holy Savior Menard 0

(3) University Lab 2, (2) Parkview Baptist 1

LHSAA Prep Baseball Semifinal Schedule for Thursday, May 9

Non-Select Division I

(13) Benton vs. (1) Barbe, 5:30 p.m. Field 41

(3) Sam Houston vs. (2) West Monroe, 5:30 p.m. Field 41

Select Division I

(12) Acadiana vs. (1) Catholic (BR), 2 p.m. Field 41

(3) Archbishop Rummel vs. (2) John Curtis Christian, 2 p.m. Field 40 (Listen live on The Ticket 106.1 FM)

Select Division II

(5) St. Thomas More vs. (2) St. Louis Catholic, 11 a.m. Field 41

(3) Vandebilt Catholic vs. (2) Teurlings Catholic, 11 a.m. Field 40