Big 5th inning powers E.D. White past Vandebilt Catholic for baseball state title

SULPHUR – The familiarity was clearly present between two old Bayou rivals. The stakes could not have been higher.

The Cardinals soared higher Saturday afternoon.

Second-seed E.D. White Catholic had handled fifth seed Vandebilt Catholic by scores of 13-2 and 8-2 during the regular season. The third time around, it was even heading to the bottom of the fifth when the Cardinals broke a tie with four runs in a 6-2 victory over the Terriers in the Select Division II state championship game at McMurry Park.

E.D. White claims the Select Division III Baseball State Championship with a 6-2 win over Vanderbilt!

Cardinals score their first title win since 2001 and sixth in school history. pic.twitter.com/CwhQzNIY6W

— GeauxPreps.com (@GeauxPrepsLA) May 13, 2023

It is the sixth state title in E.D. White history and the first since 2001.

The Cardinals took the lead in the bottom of the first inning. Matthew Melancon singled, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jax Triche and scored on a double by Brendan Gaubert.

E.D. White loaded the bases in the bottom of the second but John Wade got a fielder’s choice groundout to end the threat.

In the top of the fifth, Vandebilt Catholic tied the game as James Guidry walked, advanced to second on a groundout and scored on error to make it 1-1.

The Cardinals answered quickly with a big bottom of the fifth inning outburst which decided the contest.

Wade walked Matthew Escher and Melancon and he was lifted for Jahyri Coleman with a 2-0 count on Jax Triche, who proceeded to walk to load the bases.

Gaubert then singled home Escher to make it 2-1. One out later, Tyler Weimer drilled a two-run double to center and it was 4-1. Luke Zeringue then hit a ground ball to third ant Gaubert scored as the catcher could not handle the throw home and it was 5-1.

E.D. White (26-9) pulled away further in the bottom of the sixth on a single by Triche before courtesy runner Cooper Bordis stole second and third. Braxton Comeaux doubled to the wall in left, scoring Bordis to give the Cardinals a 6-1 lead.

Vandebilt Catholic (25-17) picked up a run in the top of the seventh on singles by Seth Brown and Diego Archila and an error to complete the scoring.

Gaubert was 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored and he pitched three innings, allowing one run on three hits to pick up the save and was named the Most Outstanding Player.

The win secured E.D. White’s first baseball state crown since 2001 when the program completed a string of four-straight LHSAA titles. Their other previous title was won in 1974.

FINAL
VC 000 010 1 — 2 5 0, 8 LOB
EDW 100 041 X — 6 6 4, 8 LOB
WP—Luke Falgoust
LP—John Wade
SV—Brendan Gaubert
Time of Game: 2:13
SB—Seth Brown-3, Cooper Bordis-2 , Diego Archila, Jax Triche
2B—Brendan Gaubert, Tyler Weimer, Braxton Comeaux