Bobcats sweep John R. Young Tournament
By Tom Dodge
The Eunice Bobcats picked up a trio of wins over the weekend to capture a share of the John R. Young annual baseball tournament title.
Eunice (7-7 overall) started the sweep with a 7-0 win over Northside and followed with a 3-1 win over Beau Chene. The Bobcats closed the tournament with a 14-4 victory over Mamou.
“We pitched well, we swung the bats well and it seemed this weekend we put everything together,” Eunice head coach Scott Phillips said of his team. “We have had a pretty tough couple of weeks against good competition.
“It was good to see us play well in the tournament against good competition,” he continued. “It has been a long time since we won our own tournament.”
Friday’s weather conditions forced the tournament to be switched to pool play only, with no championship game on Sunday. Breaux Bridge went 2-1 to capture the other tourney title.
Jacque Fruge picked up the win over Northside as he scattered four hits and struck out three and allowed one walk in the shut out.
The Bobcats scored first against the Vikings as Mitchell Fuselier opened the Eunice first inning with a double and scored on Stuart Turner’s RBI.
Turner would score on Brett Baldwin’s RBI to push the Bobcats ahead, 2-0.
Tyler Fontenot reached on an error in the bottom of the second and scored on Miles Fontenot’s sacrifice RBI.
The Bobcats added three more runs in the bottom of the third inning to forge ahead, 6-0.
Young Turner and Fruge reached on three straight singles to load the bases.
Tyler Fontenot drove in Young, while Turner (2-2, RBI) scored on an errant throw and Fruge was plated on a double to centerfield by Miles Fontenot.
The Bobcats picked up their final run in the bottom of the fourth inning when Fuselier walked and scored on Ethan Moser’s double as Eunice capped a 7-0 win.
Stuart Turner threw a no-hitter against Beau Chene as he fanned five and walked two in the win.
The Gators scored on a Bobcat error in the top of the first, but Eunice responded with three runs in the bottom of the third to seal the win.
Young (2-3) doubled in the bottom of the third inning and scored on a single by Turner (2-3, RBI) to tie the game, 1-1.
Fruge singled and pinch runner Moser scored when Tyler Fontenot reached on a Gator error which also allowed Fruge to score on the same play.
Young earned the win on the mound Saturday night as he allowed four runs on six hits, striking out seven and walked one in the 14-4 romp over Mamou.
Eunice batted through the lineup in the bottom of the first against the Demons as the Bobcats jumped to a 4-0 advantage.
Fuselier and Young both singled while Turner drew a walk to load the bases.
Fruge also reached on a walk to score Fuselier and Baldwin had a RBI on an error to plate Young. Tyler Fontenot then drove in pinch runner Kendall Sam and Fruge with a single to centerfield for a 4-0 advantage.
Mamou closed the gap to 4-1 in the top of the second when Cade Soileau doubled and scored on a RBI by Brian Manuel.
Eunice responded with a run of its own in the bottom of the inning when Fruge doubled and scored on a RBI by Tyler Fontenot.
Trailing 5-1, the Green Demons scored twice in the top of the third to close the Bobcat margin to two runs.
Corey Guillory singled and scored when Denzel Frank reached on a Bobcat error. Frank later scored on another EHS miscue.
The Bobcats exploded for five runs in the bottom of the inning to put the game out of reach.
Moser moved on base on a Demon error and Jacob Fontenot followed with a walk.
Fuselier (2-3) singled to load the bases and Young (2-3) drilled a two RBI shot that hit Mamou reliever Tyler Bordelon on the shin that allowed Moser and Jacob Fontenot to score and also knocked Bordelon from the game.
Turner drew a walk off Corey Guillory who moved to the mound from centerfield and Fruge reached on an error.
Tyler Fontenot (3-3, 3 RBI), then blasted a shot to plate courtesy runner Sam, while Miles Fontenot (2-3) added a RBI double to score Fruge and Baldwin as EHS led 10-3.
Mamou closed the gap to 10-4 when pinch hitter Caleb Manuel blasted a solo shot over the left centerfield wall in the top of the fourth inning.
The Bobcats responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning to complete the 10-run rule contest.
Jacob Fontenot began the surge with his second straight walk of the contest, while Fuselier also drew a base-on-balls off Guillory.
Turner hit a one-out RBI single to score Fontenot and then Fruge (2-3) drilled a shot down the third baseline to allow Fuselier and Sam to cross home plate.
Fruge scored the game’s final run when Baldwin hit a RBI single to centerfield for the 10-run margin.
“You have to get consistency at this time of year,” Phillips said as the Bobcats enter the final week of non-district competition. “We were making four or five errors a game early in the season and we have limited that.
“We are right where we need to be,” he commented. “I wanted to be back at .500 after the tournament so we can get over the hump.
“Catching up to .500 it looks like you are a very average team,” Phillips said. “But I think we are better than an average team.
“I think we can compete and give Sam Houston and DeRidder a run for the money in district.”
Eunice hosts Breaux Bridge 6 p.m. Thursday at LSUE before participating in the St. Landry Parish baseball tournament this weekend at Opelousas High.