Replay: Tipton hits, pitches Chalmette past Slidell to force rubber game

CHALMETTE – Backs to the wall, the Chalmette Owls – and in particular Cameron Tipton – delivered in a big way Friday night.

Tipton pitched a complete game and drove in three runs to lead No. 15 seed Chalmette to a 6-1 victory over 18th-seeded Slidell to force a deciding game in their best-of-three Division I non-select opening round series at a packed Noel Suarez Stadium.

The game was broadcast live on Crescent City Sports.

“We’re a team that will always bounce back. We never give up,” said Tipton, whose team was on the short end of a classic 1-0 pitcher’s duel in Game 1 of the series on Thursday. “Our captain and catcher, Evan Jacob, pushes us to play hard every day.”

Tipton and Jacob delivered the two biggest hits of the game in consecutive at-bats in the top of the fifth to put the first crooked number of the series on the scoreboard.

Chalmette (29-6) led 1-0 and had two outs and no one on when Marcus Campbell flipped over the lineup with a double off the center-field wall. After Jaden Williams was walked intentionally and Latrell Grant was hit by a pitch, Tipton made it 3-0 with his second run-scoring hit of the night. Jacob followed with a two-run double to break it open.

Tipton drove in the game’s first run in the third with a two-out single, scoring Malik Jupiter, who had led off the inning with a double.

On the mound, Tipton, a Troy commitment, held the Tigers to three hits. He walked one and struck out four.
“We came out … and was going to attack with fastballs,” Tipton said. “We just wanted to pound the zone, throw strikes and get outs.”

Slidell (21-12) got its only run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Austin Buell, scoring Brady Johnson, who had doubled.
The deciding game of the series is at 1 p.m. Saturday. The winner advances to meet second-seeded West Monroe in the regional round next weekend.