Baseball: Jesuit, Brother Martin, Holy Cross, St. Charles, Shaw with wins Saturday

Area Prep Baseball Report for Sunday, March 24

A year ago as a sophomore, Jake Moreci could not pitch but played for the state championship Jesuit team. That came a year after Moreci made a splash as a freshman pitcher and player for the Blue Jays.

A year later, Moreci is back on the mound, making a splash.

Moreci pitched his way and defending state champion Jesuit hit its way to a solid 7-3 victory over Archbishop Rummel Saturday at Mike Miley Stadium in Metairie in a rematch of last year’s Select Division I state championship game.

Moreci (4-1) pitched into the seventh inning, allowing three runs on four hits with three walks and four strikeouts, using 112 pitches to pick up the win. Jay Comboy came on to finish the victory. Moreci, the son of former Archbishop Rummel star and Rummel Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Ryan Moreci, added two hits and scored a run to help his own cause.

Jesuit executed on the mound and at the plate while the Raiders hit a pair of batters, walked four and failed to turn a couple of clear double play opportunities which extended innings with the Blue Jays taking full advantage.

Jesuit jumped on top 2-0 in the top of the first on a walk to Everett Denny, a fielder’s choice groundout where Rummel failed to turn a double play, a single by Marshal Serio, an RBI bunt single by Patrick Berrigan, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly by Joe Bosco.

Rummel tied the game in the bottom of the fourth on a walk to Tulane commit Evan Burg and a 2-run home run by Aiden Gernard, his second of the season.

The Blue Jays matched it with two runs in the top of the fifth to take the lead for good at 4-2.

Denny started it again with a walk and Michael Brothers was hit by a pitch. Serio put Jesuit on top with an RBI single, scoring Denny to make it 3-2 and Berrigan drove in a run with a fielder’s choice grounder as Rummel failed to turn another likely double play to make it 4-2.

Jesuit effectively put the game away in the top of the sixth inning against Rummel reliver Coleman Capaci. Moreci singled and advanced all the way to third on a sacrifice bunt by Derek Delatte. Connor Donnelly walked and Brandon Thomas drove in a run with a successful bunt to make it 5-2. Donnelly scored on a wild pitch and it was 6-2.

The Blue Jays added an insurance run in the top of the seventh against Brandt Frey. Serio was hit by a pitch, Berrigan singled and Delatte delivered an RBI single to make it 7-2.

Rummel scored the final run in the bottom of the seventh on a single by Frey, who advanced to second on a wild pitch. Burg drove in Frey with a double.

Avery Williams (1-1) took the loss for the Raiders, going five innings, allowing four runs on five hits.

Jesuit (14-6, 2-1) and Rummel (12-6, 3-1) conclude their series Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Kirsch-Rooney Stadium. Rummel has a make-up game with St. Augustine Monday at 4 p.m. in a game you can listen to on The Ticket, 106.1 FM and at www.theticket1061.com.

Defending District 9-5A champion Brother Martin scored an impressive 9-4 win over John Curtis Christian at Miley later in the day.

The Crusaders parlayed a huge 7-run second inning to victory.

Cody Kropp started the uprising with an RBI single before a wild pitch scored a second run. Frank Randol produced a 2-run double, Cole Navarro had an RBI double, Stan Wiltz and Ryan Darrah each had RBI singles and Ethan Prather drove in a run with a successful bunt in the big inning.

The Patriots made it 7-1 in the bottom of the second on an RBI single by Dylan Gilbert.

Darrah added a run in the sixth inning when he stole home to make it 8-1 before Leaumont completed the scoring for the Crusaders with a solo home run in the top of the seventh inning.

Curtis plated three runs in the bottom of the seventh on a 2-run home run by Brad Chaisson, a double by Dagan Bruno and an RBI single by Connor Micheu.

Brother Martin (13-5, 2-0) and John Curtis Christian (14-5, 2-3) will play game two of the series Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Kirsch-Rooney Stadium.

In a non-district game, Holy Cross edged St. Martin’s Episcopal 2-1 at Tiger Park.

Luca Saltaformaggio had a hit and two RBI while Roux Guerra and Dom Pellegrin each had two hits.

Ryder Planchard picked up the win in relief of Matthew Watson, going three scoreless innings, allowing no hits with two strikeouts. Watson allowed just one run on one hit with four strikeouts.

Holy Cross (8-8) hosts Brother Martin Monday at 4 p.m. in District 9-5A play. The Saints (3-7) will play Haynes Academy Tuesday at 4 p.m.

St. Charles Catholic is on a roll.

The Comets won their tenth straight game, shutting out Newman 8-0 in District 10-2A play to sweep the two-game series.

The Comets scored twice in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by Brayden Bertucci and a sacrifice fly by Hudson Heltz to make it 2-0.

The lead grew to 4-0 in the second inning on a RBI on a bunt by Landree LeBlanc and an RBI double by Brandon Kragle and it was plenty enough run support.

Kragle picked up the win, going four hitless innings, walking two and recording nine strikeouts. Noah Troxclair, Luke Dewhirst and LeBlanc each pitched a scoreless inning.

Henry Cook took the loss for the Greenies.

LeBlanc drove in three runs while Bertucci had two hits and two RBI for the Comets. Brady St. Pierre added a pair of hits.

St. Charles Catholic won the first meeting 12-4 Friday.

St. Charles Catholic (15-5, 2-0) will host Belle Chasse Monday at 4:30 p.m.

Newman (9-8, 0-2) has dropped seven straight games. The Greenies host The Willow School Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

In another non-district contest, Archbishop Shaw handled Higgins 13-0 in a game shortened to five innings by the mercy rule at Winterscheidt Field.

Robert Hebert III pitched a one-hitter. Hebert did not issue a walk and struck out five in a terrific performance, using just 64 pitches. Austin Amadeo had two hits and three RBI while Cameron Marigny-Bolden and Dalton Davidson each had two hits and two RBI. Chase Baiamonte and Nathan Billiot each added an RBI.

Shaw (8-11) travels to Tiger Park to face Holy Cross Monday at 6:30 p.m. while the Hurricanes (10-8) face Landry Tuesday at 4 p.m.

Area Prep Baseball Results from Saturday, March 23
Albany 16, East Jefferson 4
Archbishop Shaw 13, Higgins 0
Assumption 9, Berwick 7
Belle Chasse 16, New Orleans Military & Maritime 1
Bogalusa 10, Northeast 0 (game one)
Bogalusa 19, Northeast 3 (game two)
Brother Martin 9, John Curtis Christian 4
Chalmette 3, Terrebonne 1
Covenant Christian 7, Hanson Memorial 1
Covenant Christian 19, Highland Baptist 2
Hahnville 12, E.D. White Catholic 3
Hanson Memorial 3, Morgan City 1
H.L. Bourgeois 8, South Lafourche 5
Holy Cross 2, St. Martin’s Episcopal 1
Houma Christian 9, Riverdale 6
Independence 15, Tara 5
Jesuit 7, Archbishop Rummel 3
Jewel Sumner 5, Maurepas 2
Lakeshore 10, Ponchatoula 3
Patrick Taylor 11, East St. John 5 (game one)
Patrick Taylor 13, East St. John 3 (game two)
Riverside Academy 6, Ellender 2
Sam Houston 3, Vandebilt Catholic 1
Slidell 11, Destrehan 0
South Terrebonne 8, Thibodaux 1
St. Augustine 13, Karr 2
St. Charles Catholic 8, Newman 0
Willow School 18, Fisher 3