Fontainebleau stuns top seed West Monroe in extra innings to open series

Fontainebleau is a very talented baseball team with several commits to play at the next level.

That talent came through in huge fashion Friday as the 17th-seeded Bulldogs went to top seed West Monroe and shocked the host Rebels 9-7 in eight innings.

Tulane commit Steven Spalitta settled the outcome with a three-run homer in the top of the eighth as Fontainebleau scored four runs. Spalitta had three hits and three RBI.

Fontainebleau took a 2-0 lead with two runs in the top of the third but West Monroe answered with three in the bottom of the frame to take a 3-2 lead.

The Bulldogs scored twice in the top of the sixth to lead 4-3 but the Rebels countered with two in the bottom of the inning to take a 5-4 lead.

Fontainebleau tied it in the top of the seventh on a single by Mississippi State commit Pierce Boles and it was 5-5.

Left-fielder Collin Hurley saved the game for Fontainebleau, throwing out a West Monroe runner at the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning on a single which would have won the game.

Fontainebleau then had the big eighth inning with four runs. West Monroe scored a run in the bottom of the frame but it was not enough.

“It was a back-and-forth affair the whole way,” Fontainebleau head coach Johnny Wortmann said. “To put up four runs in the eighth was huge. They had taken the momentum in the sixth and we got a big hit in the seventh to tie it and push it to extra innings. We got contributions up and down the order. That is what it takes to beat a very good team.

Mississippi State commit Alex Walsh started for the Bulldogs and went four innings, allowing three runs on four hits.

Boles pitched three innings, allowing two runs on four hits.

Southern Arkansas commit Grey Fisher pitched the final inning, allowing two runs, one earned.

The Bulldogs turned a pair of double plays.

Sam Eppinette had two hits and a walk while Clay Mitchell had two hits, including a double and an RBI.

LSU commit John Pearson had two hits, including a home run and two RBI, Jack Cowan had three hits and two RBI, Hayden Federico had a hit and two RBI and Nolan Norris had a hit and scored twice for the Rebels.

Game two is set for 1 p.m. Saturday with game three to follow, if necessary. Evan Folse will start for Fontainebleau.

“It will have to be our pitchers doing what they have done all year and we must take advantage of their pitching depth,” Wortmann said. “They use multiple pitchers and they are very good. We will have to score.”