Blue Jays drop season opener to Seminoles
By Tom Dodge
BELLEVUE – Sometimes it is best just to get that first game behind you.
In their first American Legion baseball outing and their first time on the field in over six weeks, the Blue Jays fell 3-1 to the Opelousas Seminoles Tuesday at the Westminster Christian Academy complex located south of Opelousas.
“We have a lot of ball games over the next four weeks,” Blue Jay head coach Tre Brown said.
“We will come around after taking so much time off.”
The Opelousas High-based Seminoles jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Neal Hebert led off with a walk and scored on a triple by Shaq Belson.
The St. Edmund-based Blue Jays tied the game in the top of the third when Mac Manuel singled and scored on a single to centerfield by Tyler McGee.
The Indians retook the lead in the bottom of the inning when James Fontenot singled and scored on a double by Belson.
Pinch runner Nick Talevich added an insurance run when he scored off a single by Jarryd Pitre.
The Blue Jays were limited to five hits over the seven innings, including two singles by Manuel.
The Indians rapped out six hits, sparked by Belson’s shots to the wall.
“There are too many good ball players in Eunice just to have one team” Brown said of the new addition to the American Legion Seventh District East as the Blue Jays join the Seminoles, the St. Landry Bank Indians, the Crowley Millers, Jeff Davis Bank from Jennings and the Eunice Oilers. “It will be good overall for the players with the new team.
“This will give our young guys some exposure and let us see the future of the Blue Jay program.”
The Blue Jays travel to Bellevue again 7 p.m. tonight to take on the St. Landry Bank Indians at WCA field.
The Jays will entertain DeRidder 7 p.m. Friday night at North Park.