Ponstein’s edges Mortgage Gumbo to earn fourth straight win

NEW ORLEANS – It was all about pitching and defense.

In the end, The Holy Cross based— Ponstein’s Food Store prevailed 1-0 over Lakeshore-based Mortgage Gumbo on Tuesday afternoon in a Crescent City Sports Prep Summerl League game that featured high level defense and pitching on both sides.

Mortgage Gumbo opened the game with a pair of singles by Eli Lirette and Gabe Dalton in their first three at-bats to make it first and third with only one out, but the side was quickly retired as Ponstein’s was able to turn a double play to get out of the jam with no damage done.

Those two opening hits would end up being the only two of the game, as the pitching trio of Chris Serovich, Keegan Gipson and Jake Geggheimer would only allow a total of five base runners the entire game (with one more reaching on an error) and collectively striking out six batters.

The pitching was backed by an elite display of fielding led by shortstop Dominic Pellerin and center fielder Brody Forestall, who were able to each make crucial plays that prevented the Mortgage Gumbo offense from gaining any momentum throughout the afternoon.

Although hits were very hard to come by for both squads, Ponstein’s was able to make them count.

In the bottom of the second, left fielder Aaron Guichard picked up the lone RBI of the game with a two-out base hit that scored Denny Trosclair from third.

“It was a huge win for us,” said Ponstein’s Head Coach Ryan Kamlade. “Being such a young club last year in prep, we lost a lot of games 1-0 or by one run or two runs, and to beat a club like Lakeshore (Mortgage Gumbo) who played in the semifinals last year in 4A speaks volumes of our club.”

Despite an offensive struggle throughout the afternoon, a bright spot for the Lakeshore-based squad was the pitching performance of left handed starter Dom Letort, who allowed just five hits while striking out four in the span of five innings. His precision and mix of pitches made solid contact rare for Ponstein’s offense and kept Mortgage Gumbo’s chances alive for the entirety of the game.

“He kept us off balance, and we knew going into it that it was gonna be a struggle and the first one to one or two runs might win it, but to our guys credit, they battled and found a way on,” Kamlade said.

Trosclair had two of the five hits for Ponstein’s.

Games like this come down to which team can execute all of the smaller aspects of the game more efficiently, and Ponstein’s defense and situational base running and a timely hit pulled them through in the end.

The win was the fourth straight for Ponstein’s (7-4). The Titans fell to 4-4 with the defeat.

FINAL
MG 000 000 0 — 0 2 3, 6 LOB
PFC 010 000 X — 1 5 1, 8 LOB
WP—Chris Serovich
LP—Dom Letort
SB—Eli Lirette, Dom Letort