Baseball Report: Salmen shocks Northshore to boost playoff seed

After making an improbable run to the state semifinals as a 21st seed in the Class 4A playoffs a year ago, Salmen has had to fight hard to continue that success in 2018.

Facing a challenging schedule, the Spartans posted a winning but not overly impressive record but took care of business in winning District 8-4A.

Going into the playoffs, you would not want to have to see Salmen.

The Spartans went across time and shocked 5A power Northshore 5-4 Saturday in the season finale for both teams. The game was a continuation from a week one tournament.

Salmen was up 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning when the game resumed.

The Spartans added run in the third inning to make it 3-0. Northshore tied it with three runs in the fourth inning, taking advantage of two errors. Salmen scored twice in the top of the seventh to make it 5-3 before the Panthers scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to make it 5-4 and the Panthers had first and third but got a groundout to end the game.

Joey Smith picked up the win, going the distance. Smith allowed four runs (one earned) on four hits. Andre Beaudoin had a pair of doubles and drove in two runs to pace the Salmen offense.

Spartans head coach Brian Babin said his team rose to the occasion.

“I told the kids that it was a chance to face a team that will be like the best teams in 4A, how we would fare,” Babin said. “We answered the challenge. Joey did a great job, particularly with his off-speed stuff. He mixed his fastball in. After losing to Fontainebleau Friday in what was not a good effort, we responded well. We had not beaten Northshore in a few years. We beat everyone in the city this year, including Pope John Paul, Slidell and Northshore and that is special.”

With the win, Salmen (19-13) will likely climb to 10th in Class 4A and will host a first-round playoff game perhaps against Livonia. Northshore (29-3) is likely to be the seventh seed in Class 5A and will host an opening round game, perhaps against East Ascension.

Salmen lost just two seniors to graduation from last year. The Spartans are an experienced team which has been to Sulphur and understands playoff baseball.

“It is kind of like last year,” Babin said. “We hit the playoffs running and you never know what it going to happen. We are excited, ready, and hoping to duplicate what we did last year and maybe go a little further. They are pumped and ready to go.”

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