Baseball: Brother Martin puts together complete game to down John Curtis

METAIRIE – The memories linger.

In an outstanding game, John Curtis Christian rallied with three runs in the fifth inning to overcome Brother Martin 3-2 in the Division I semifinals on May 12 of last year as New Mexico signee Austin Ackel picked up the win.

That came a year after the Patriots eliminated the Crusaders in two games in the Division I quarterfinals.

Those were bitter defeats for the Crusaders.

It was time to erase the bad taste Tuesday night, facing Ackel once again.

The Crusaders got the job done, whipping the Patriots 8-1 at Mike Miley Stadium to remain unbeaten in District 9-5A play with their fifth straight win.

Brother Martin (13-5, 3-0) used a big inning, solid defense and execution and outstanding pitching to get the job done. Jack Lupo drove in a pair of runs for the Crusaders.

“You never forget,” Brother Martin coach Jeff Lupo said. “Every game in this district is really tough. This is a new set of guys. This is a new team with a new personality. They are finally starting to grow into their capabilities. They played really well. I’m really proud of them.”

After a scoreless first frame, Brother Martin erupted for five runs off John Curtis starter and New Mexico signee Austin Ackel in the top of the second inning.

Reece Roussel started the uprising with a single before Eli Booth was hit by a pitch. Kolby Hunter singled to load the bases and Lupo walked, plating Roussel to make it 1-0., Egan Prather hit by pitch, scoring Booth to make it 2-0.

Gavin Berry executed a perfect safety squeeze bunt, scoring Hunter to make it 3-0 and Andrew Sieta singled home a run before an error scored a fifth run and it was 5-0.

John Curtis (10-5-1, 0-1) answered with a run in the bottom of the inning on a single by Delgado commit Josh Eames, a two-base throwing error and an RBI groundout by Dagan Bruno and it was 5-1.

The Crusaders responded in the top of the fifth on a single by Frank Randol, who stole second. After a walk to Roussel, Booth doubled home Randol to make it 6-1.

That ended the day for Ackel on the mound with Bryce Hebert taking over for the Patriots. Hunter greeted him with an RBI single to center to make it 7-1. Lupo followed with an RBI double to deep right and it was 8-1 after five innings.

The Patriots added a run in the bottom of the seventh on a walk to Eames, a single by Dagan Bruno and an RBI groundout by Dylan Gilbert.

The loss snapped a seven-game win streak for Curtis.

“They executed their game plan almost to perfection,” John Curtis coach Jeff Curtis said. “They did a really good job in that inning with two strike hitting. You couple those two strike hits with a hit by pitch and a walk and the next thing you know, they get a big hit, execute the bunt on the safety squeeze and put a big number up.”

Senior Gavin Simeon was simply outstanding on the mound for the Crusaders. Simeon went the distance, using102 pitches. He allowed two runs on four hits, walked just two and struck out six.

“Not everything was working but you’ve got to make what you have work,” Simeon said. “I just went out and filled it up and let my defense work behind me. We’ve got a lot of young guys who are stepping up. You have to have a little bit of fight in you. It’s got to hurt you a little bit that they ended our season last year.”

The same two teams will meet again Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Kirsch-Rooney Stadium.

FINAL
BM 050 030 0 — 8 7 1, 7 LOB
JC 010 000 0 — 2 4 2, 4 LOB
WP—Gavin Simeon (4-0)
LP—Auctin Ackel (2-3)
SB—Frank Randol
2B—Andrew Martinez, Eli Booth, Jack Lupo
Time of Game: 2:05

Area Prep Baseball Results from Tuesday, March 21
Archbishop Rummel 7, St. Augustine 3
Archbishop Shaw 3, Hahnville 0
Ascension Catholic 6, Newman 3
Assumption 4, Thibodaux 2
Bonnabel 15, Grace King 1
Brother Martin 8, John Curtis Christian 2
Catholic (BR) 4, Pope John Paul II 1
Centerville 13, Jeanerette 0
Central Lafourche 13, St. James 4
Chalmette 15, John Ehret 0
Country Day 11, Riverdale 3
Crescent City Christian 10, Ecole Classique 3
Destrehan 12, E.D. White Catholic 6
Doyle 15, Madison Prep 0 (game one)
Doyle 16, Madison Prep 0 (game to)
East Jefferson 22, West Jefferson 0
Fisher 10, Willow School 5
Hammond 12, Scotlandville 1
Houma Christian 7, Northlake Christian 6
Jesuit 6, Holy Cross 2
Jewel Sumner 19, Amite 1
Kenner Discovery 9, Higgins 6
McDonogh (35) 15, Abramson 4
Morgan City 5, Ellender 4
Northshore 10, Denham Springs 0
Riverside Academy 13, West St. John 1
Slidell 7, H.L. Bourgeois 0
South Terrebonne 10, South Lafourche 6
St. Paul’s 7, De La Salle 3
St. Martin’s Episcopal 16, Varnado 0
St. Thomas Aquinas 3, Ascension Episcopal 2
Terrebonne 8, Liberty 5
Thomas Jefferson 8, Patterson 4
Vandebilt Catholic 4, Lutcher 3
Warren Easton 11, Douglass