Baseball Playoff Roundup: Catholic pounds Curtis in game one, Doyle wins; Riverside, Lutcher open series play Thursday

BASEBALL BRACKETS

As the defending state champion and top seed, the Catholic Bears are a bullish favorite to repeat as state champion.

If anyone can challenge the Bears, many feel it is a seasoned, playoff-tested, tough team in No. 9 seed John Curtis Christian, considered much better than its seed.

After all, the Patriots played Catholic tough before falling 4-1 in the 2022 Division I state championship contest and John Curtis won back-to-back Division I state titles in 2017 and 2018.

If Curtis is going to present a challenge to Catholic this year, things will have to change drastically from what transpired Wednesday.

The Bears put up huge numbers early and drilled the Patriots 10-0 in a game shortened to four and a half innings by the mercy rule.

Scoreless into the bottom of the second, Catholic scored four times to take a solid 4-0 lead.

The Bears (35-2) exploded for six more runs in the third to account for the final margin.

Tulane commit Alex Ainsworth pitched a no-hitter, using just 60 pitches. Ainsworth walked three and struck out three.

Sophomore Noah Lewis was the hitting star, going 3 for 3 with a single, double, triple and five RBI. Junior Houston commit Brooks Wright had two hits and two RBI, sophomore LSU commit Jake Ruckert had a double and two RBI while Louisiana Ragin’ Cajun commit Clayton Porciau had a hit and an RBI.

New Mexico signee Austin Ackel took the loss for the Patriots.

Game two is Thursday at 6 p.m. and Curtis must win to extend the series. Game three, if needed, would be Friday at 5 p.m.

In Select Division IV, No. 1 Ouachita Christian blanked No. 8 Covenant Christian 7-0 to advance to the semifinals next Tuesday in Sulphur. Karson Trichel pitched six scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and struck out six. Landon Graves pitched the final inning, allowing a hit and striking out three. Jett Hudnall was the hitting star, belting a grand slam.

OCS is heading to the semifinals for the sixth straight season and will play the winner of No. 5 Catholic-Pointe Coupee and No. 4 Opelousas Catholic in the semifinals.

In Non-Select Division III, No. 3 Doyle outlasted No. 6 Rosepine 9-8 in a thriller in game of their best-of-three series.

Rosepine started fast, scoring three runs in the top of the first but the Tigers answered with five runs on three hits in the bottom of the frame to take a 5-3 lead after one inning. The Eagles tied it at 5-5 with two runs in the top of the second and took a 6-5 lead with a run in the top of the third. Doyle recaptured the lead at 7-6 with two runs in the bottom of the third without the benefit of a hit, scoring on three walks and two hit batters. The Tigers added two in the bottom of the fifth to lead 9-6. The Eagles scored twice in the seventh inning but reliever Parker Taylor stranded two runners to preserve the win and picked up the save.

Peyton Woods got the win, pitching into the seventh inning while recording 10 strikeouts.

Game two is Thursday at 4 p.m.

In Select Division II action Thursday, No. 5 Vandebilt Catholic opens its best-of-three series at No. 4 Teurlings Catholic Thursday at 4 p.m. while No. 10 De La Salle opens its series at No. 2 E.D. White Catholic at 4 p.m.

In Select Division III, No. 8 University Lab is at defending state champion and No. 1 St. Charles Catholic in game one of the series at 4:30 p.m. while No. 2 Pope John Paul II hosts No. 7 Holy Savior Menard at 6 p.m.

In Select Division IV, No. 11 Riverside Academy makes the long trip to No. 3 Glenbrook at 6 p.m. in a single elimination quarterfinal contest.

In Non-Select Division II, defending state champion and top seed Lutcher entertains No. 8 Lakeshore in game one of a best-of-three quarterfinal series at 6 p.m. while No. 5 Pearl River opens its series at No. 4 Eunice at 5:30 p.m.

In Non-Select Division III, No. 5 Berwick travels to No. 4 Sterlington in game one of their series at 6 p.m.

In Non-Select Division IV, No. 20 Centerville plays at No. 12 Mangham at 5 p.m. in a single elimination quarterfinal contest.