Rummel bats erupt to beat Northwood, advance to semifinals

BASEBALL BRACKETS

When you are a hot team, you find various ways to win.

By all accounts, 13th-seed Archbishop Rummel was a sleeping giant of sorts, entering the Select Division I playoffs as a team that had not realized its potential. The Riaders lost eight games by one run and five more contests by two runs among all but one of their defeats. The other loss was by three runs.

The Raiders were close but falling short in key situations. In the post season, Rummel is no longer falling short.

LSU commit Mikey Ryan belted a grand slam and a three-run homer as Rummel and Central Alabama commit Brock Bullinger ripped a walk-off grand slam as Rummel overcame a slow start Saturday to power past No. 5 Northwood 20-7 in five innings in Shreveport to win the series two games to none.

Though he struggled on the mound, Bullinger was a force at the plate with two hits and drove in five runs.

Louisiana Tech commit Gavin Nix added three hits, including a double, with three RBI while Tulane commit Evan Burg was 3 for 3 with two RBI.

It did not look like a day for Rummel early.

The Falcons jumped on Bullinger with four runs in the top of the first inning as Hutson Hearon plated a run with a successful bunt and it was 1-0. An error plated two runs and it was 3-0 before a passed ball scored another and it was 4-0.

The Raiders awakened in the second inning as Ryan blasted a three-run homer to left field to cut the deficit to 4-3.

Bullinger departed the mound in the third inning, giving way to Shane Hirstius. The Falcons loaded the bases and Luke Bloxum and Tucker McCabe each drew walks, scoring two more runs to make it 6-3.

Rummel took the lead in the fourth inning as Hirstius singled, Ruben Ramirez walked and Burg walked. Ryan followed with a grand slam to right field to give the Raiders a 7-6 lead.

Northwood got even in the top of the fourth on a home run by Jaxon Bentzler and it was 7-7.

From that point on, it was all Rummel as the Raiders scored six runs in the fourth and seven in the fifth, capped off by the Bullinger grand slam.

Anthony Mouney gave Rummel the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth with a sacrifice fly before Burg doubled home a run to make it 9-7.

Central Alabama commit Rhett Centanni drew a bases loaded walk and it was 10-7 and Nix cleared the based with a double to increase the advantage to 13-7. Bullinger added an RBI single to make it 14-7 after four innings.

Rummel finished it in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single by Burg before Centanni drew another bases loaded walk and it was 16-7.

Bullinger then finished it with a grand slam to left field.

Bullinger pitched two and two-third innings, allowing six runs (four earned) on four hits with four walks and four strikeouts. Hirstius picked up the win, going two and a third innings, allowing one run on two hits with three walks and a strikeout.

Bentzler took the loss, lasting four innings, allowing 14 earned runs on 10 hits with 10 walks and a strikeout. Christian Blackmon finished on the mound for Northwood, allowing six runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning.

Rummel coach Frank Cazeaux enjoyed watching his break-out offensively.

“I thought we did a great job of not letting our guard down and to keep fighting when we fell behind 4-0,” Cazeaux said. “The kids understood that and we came up with the big innings. Mikey is really hot now. When he focuses on each at-bat and the situation, there is no one better than him. When he doesn’t try to do to much, it happens naturally for him.

“It was a hot day, Bullinger had some tough luck. He did a very good job in the field and he came through big-time at the plate. I’m very proud of him. He has become a good hitter and did not let the pitching bother him. Some of it was tough luck. He went to third base and played like he played all year long. Nix and Burg were huge as well.”

Rummel (25-14) has won eight straight games and the Raiders advance to Sulphur to the semifinals for the first time since 2019, when the Raiders reached the title game and lost to St. Paul’s.

“This is what we are capable of,” Cazeaux said. “We will enjoy this one right now. We had tremendous support in Shreveport. It was a huge boost for us with so many fans. We know the challenge ahead of us with Catholic. They are the defending champ and a superbly talented and coached team. It is one game. We will have to play our best but we are ready to play.”

FINAL
Northwood 402 10 — 7 6 0
Rummel 034 76 — 20 13 1