Erath falls in second round

BRUSLY - Five years ago upon taking over Erath’s baseball program David Jordan could have only envisioned such an evening.
Jordan watched his Bobcats travel to tradition rich Brusly, a regular with a seat at the state playoff table that included a state semifinal appearance last season.
Not only did No. 11 Erath jump out to an early lead and out-hit Brusly but the Bobcats proved to be a worthy adversary, watching a late comeback bid fall short in a 4-3 Class 3A state regional setback Tuesday.
“I’m still very proud of this team,” said Jordan, whose team finished 18-12. “If you would have told me when I got here this team would be playing this team, on this field in this type of game, I think there would have been a lot of people that would have doubted that.”
Four of the last five trips to the playoffs under Jordan have resulted in similar fates, an exit after the second round.
However, this time was different with Erath displaying the ability to compete with one of the state’s top programs in Brusly and more than pushed the sixth-seeded Panthers to the limit.
“Now I think we can play with anybody in the state in this class, I really do,” Jordan said. “I’m extremely proud of the players and coaches. Just everything that surrounds Erath baseball. This is a baby step. These hurdles are tough.”
Brusly (24-8) built a 4-1 lead after scoring twice in each of the fourth and sixth innings.
The Panthers’ ace Luke LeBlanc retired the last seven batters he faced, including the first two in the seventh inning.
That’s when Erath sent a jolt throughout the sizeable crowd at Charles K. Marionneaux Field with three successive run-scoring doubles from Jesse Jordan, Jace Harrington and Brett Delcambre, closing to within the final score.
Jordan turned in a stellar 4-for-4 performance at the plate, while Delcambre added two hits – part of Erath’s 12-hit attack.
Brusly was forced to turn to its closer Evan Daigle, who Delcambre greeted with a double, in order to get out of further trouble with a strikeout of Drew Primeaux.
“If we’d just had one of those in the fourth or fifth,” Jordan said of the extra-base hits. “We had the right guys at the plate. I wouldn’t trade Drew Primeaux at the plate for anything. Their guy just did a good job pitching.”
Not only did Erath open a 1-0 lead on Jordan’s RBI-single in the third but starting pitcher Ross Granger only yielded a single through three innings.
Granger (4-2) went on to allow six hits, three runs and fanned one. He threw 41 of 68 pitches for strikes before giving way to Delcambre in the sixth.
The complexion of the game turned over the next two innings when Erath combined for seven of its 12 hits, only to leave the bases loaded on both occasions.
Three, one-out singles from Delcambre, Primeaux and Bryson Suire provided a golden opportunity that fizzled when LeBlanc ended the inning with strikeouts of Alec Toups and Tyler Touchet.
Aaron Greene and Harrington walked, sandwiched around Jordan’s bunt single, to fill the bases again with one out for Delcambre, who fouled out to the catcher and Primeaux, who struck out swinging.
Brusly, though, capitalized with runners in scoring position in the bottom of the fourth with back-to-back extra bases hits off Granger that made it 2-1.
“I know it’s hard for them to see it, but I told them last year we kind of got blown off the field at Iowa (8-1) and the year before at St. Charles (10-1),” Jordan said. “When I was at Catholic High there were four of five years we couldn’t get out of the first round and then bam, we won a state championship.
“This team’s real close,” Jordan said. “Each year we’ve got more guys that are a part of this atmosphere. I feel comfortable with where we’re going. There’s added pressure trying to do something no other Erath team has ever done, which is get to the quarters. So it hurts a little harder to know we were that close to doing it.”

Will Weathers
Sports Correspondent