St. Paul’s, Rummel, Holy Cross, Jesuit, St. Martin’s post baseball opening day victories

Area Prep Baseball Report for Tuesday, Feb. 25

As defending Division I state champion, St. Paul’s is the team to beat in 2020.

The Wolves certainly looked the part Monday, beating talented Catholic of Baton Rouge 5-1 at Heap Stadium in Covington.

Mason Zambo put the Bears on top with a home run in the top of the first inning but St. Paul’s roared back, scoring three runs in the bottom of the third inning, one in the fourth and another in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Sam Heap was the hitting star, going 3-for-3 with 2 RBI while Hunter Corass and Patrick Thompson each had a hit and an RBI for the Wolves.

Nick Wright picked up the win, going four innings, allowing the home run to Zambo on three hits. He walked three and struck out two. Connor Simon went the final three innings and was dominant, allowing just one hit, walking one and fanning eight Bears. Luke McGibboney took the loss for Catholic.

St. Paul’s returns to action Friday at Dutchtown at 6 p.m.

At Destrehan, the team St. Paul’s defeated in the state title game a year ago got off to a good start in 2020 as well.

Archbishop Rummel was a rude visitor, blasting the Wildcats 10-1.

Rummel put up crooked numbers in each of the first four frames.

Kyle Walker, Logan Bertucci and Lance Johnson paced an 11-hit attack with two hits each. Bertucci homered drove in four runs while Josh Sterling and Jake Cabeceiras each drove in a pair of runs for the Raiders. Walker, Bertucci and Johnson all scored twice while Cabeceiras tripled.

Matt Villa pitched three and two-thirds innings to pick up the win, allowing just an unearned run on three hits. He walked two and struck out three. Cole Bordes did the job on the mound as well, pitching two and a third innings of shutout ball, allowing just one hit and striking out five while issuing no walks.

Rummel opens play in the WGNO Classic on Thursday against Westminster Christian at 7 p.m. at Mike Miley Stadium.

At Noel Suarez Stadium, Holy Cross debuted with a 4-0 victory over Chalmette.

Nico Saltaformaggio was brilliant, pitching 2-hitter with 10 strikeouts. Saltaformaggio issued no walks and used just 94 pitches. Bryan Broussard had two hits and an RBI, Gavin Schulz had two hits and Luke St. Amant had a hit and an RBI for the Tigers.

The Tigers return to action Thursday at home at 3 p.m. against Lakeshore.

In a wild game in Slidell, Jesuit outlasted Northshore 11-10 in nine innings.

It looked like the Blue Jays would coast to a win, taking a commanding 8-3 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning but the Panthers rallied for five runs to tie it, extending the game to extra innings.

Jesuit scored twice in the top of the eighth but Northshore answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth to make it 10-10.

The Blue Jays scored the winning run in the top of the ninth on an RBI infield single by Tripp Haddad.

Northshore had 11 hits to seven for Jesuit but the Panthers committed four errors to just one for Jesuit.

Starting pitcher Will Helmers came up big at the plate for Jesuit, collecting three hits, including a 2-run home run, and drove in six runs. He pitched five innings and allowed just one run, fanning four Panthers.

Preston Ratliff had three hits for the Panthers while Carson Lore drove in a pair of runs.

Jesuit plays next in the WGNO Classic as well.

St. Martin’s Episcopal debuted a new head coach in Brady Benoit and looked outstanding in a 14-2 victory over Riverdale in a game shortened to five innings by the mercy rule.

The Rebels scored a run in the bottom of the first to grab the early lead but the Saints took over, tying the game with a run in the top of the second and taking the lead for good with three runs in the top of the third to take a 4-1 lead. The Saints broke it open with six runs in the fourth inning to make it 10-1. After Riverdale answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth, St. Martin’s finished it with four runs in the top of the fifth.

Gavin Sperandeo had a pair of hits and scored three runs for St. Martin’s while Beau Lawrence added a hit and an RBI. Christian Pevey walked three times and scored twice. Shawn Shank picked up the win for the Saints, pitching two innings, allowing an unearned run on one hit. He walked one and struck out two. Pevey pitched two innings while Colin Saucier pitched a shutout inning for the Saints.

St. Martin’s will travel to the north shore to face St. Thomas Aquinas this Friday.

Area Prep Baseball Results from Monday, Feb. 24

Archbishop Rummel 10, Destrehan 1

Central Lafourche 4, Patrick Taylor 0

Delcambre 15, Amite 0

Denham Springs 4, Hahnville 3

East Ascension 9, St. Augustine 3

East Jefferson 6, Kenner Discovery 5

Holy Cross 4, Chalmette 0

Lakeshore 6, Covenant Christian 0

Loranger 15, Pope John Paul II 8

Lutcher 9, Assumption 3

Mandeville 3, Central 2

Newman 8, De La Salle 0

Patterson 5, John Ehret 0

Pine 6, Bogalusa 0

Salmen 2, Fontainebleau 1

Slidell 7, Hammond 5

South Lafourche 8, Northlake Christian 5

South Terrebonne 11, East St. John 0

Springfield 7, Pearl River 5

St. Martin’s Episcopal 14, Riverdale 2

St. Paul’s 5, Catholic (BR) 1

St. Thomas Aquinas 9, Riverside Academy 2

Thibodaux 8, Bonnabel 1

Walker 9, St. James 3

Zachary 14, Ponchatoula 1