Eunice douses Dragons’ fire, 6-4
By Jamie Anfenson-Comeau
DERIDDER – The Eunice High Bobcats added a third District 4-4A win to their belts Thursday, putting out a seventh-inning rally by the Dragons to win 6-4.
Austin Young (6-1) earned the win, giving up four runs, one earned, off of four hits in six-and-two-thirds’ innings. Young walked six batters and struck out seven.
Eunice (12-8; 3-0) jumped to a 3-0 lead when Mitchell Fuselier opened the top of the first inning with a double, and later scored on Jacque Frugé’s base hit.
Tyler Fontenot drove in one run on a safety squeeze bunt, followed by Miles Fontenot’s RBI single.
The Bobcats added an insurance run in the top of the fourth on Brett Baldwin’s RBI single before DeRidder got on the board; Dragon Jordan Bartlett doubled and then scored on Ed Burnett’s base hit.
Eunice added two runs in the top of the fifth to lead 6-1, when Young drew a walk to get on base before Stuart Turner blasted a two-run home run over the left-field fence.
But in the bottom of the seventh with two out, the Dragons rallied, loading the bases with two walks and a base hit before Bartlett reached on an error to score a run.
Turner stepped in to pitch before Burnett singled to drive in one run.
Chase Kelly drew a walk to plate another run before Turner struck out Jarek Spears to end the game.
Turner earned the save, giving up one hit and one walk while striking out one batter.
Kelly (4-2) took the loss for the Dragons, giving up six earned runs off of seven hits in six innings. Kelly walked four batters and struck out four.
The Bobcats return to the Eunice High field Wednesday, to face district rival Sam Houston (17-5; 3-0) in a rescheduled game at 6 p.m.