Jeff Davis Bank rolls past Blue Jays in Legion play

By Rhett Manuel

Sports Correspondent

The Eunice Blue Jay’s inaugural season in American Legion baseball continues to be one in which they are very competitive, but once again the St. Edmund-based team is still searching for its first District Seven East win of the summer.

A three-run homer in the fifth inning was the biggest difference in a hard-fought 8-4 loss to the Jeff Davis Bankers Tuesday night at North Park.

“We played well the first half of the game,” Coach Trè Brown complimented the Blue Jays’ effort.

“We hit the ball well (in the early innings.) We played this team in (the high school) regular season, and lost 8-1. I felt like we hit the starter well in the first half of the ball game.”

Jeff Davis Bank starter Kolby Ringuet, earned the win as he threw a complete game, scattering eight hits, walking one batter, and striking out seven.

The matchup appeared to be in favor of the Blue Jays in the early innings. After a scoreless first inning the Jays scored three runs in the bottom of the second.

Centerfielder Trevor Hargroder laced a leadoff ground- rule double down the right field line and Edward Turk walked.

Ryan Johnson drove in both Hargroder and Turk with a one-out single, advancing to second on a throwing mishap by Banker leftfielder Jon Eastman.

The final run of the inning would score on a fielder’s choice off of a bunt by Quinn Arnaud, scoring Johnson.

Following the Blue Jays’ big inning, however, Ringuet would carry his team on his shoulders as the Banker offense clawed back into the game, scratching out runs in the third and fourth innings off of Blue Jay starter Tyler Rodriguez to tie the game, 3-3.

The big blow came in the fifth inning when Banker catcher Damond Meche slammed a shot to deep centerfield off of Blue Jay relief pitcher Trevor Hargroder to put Jeff Davis Bank ahead 6-3.

Hargroder regrouped to retire the next three hitters, including two strikeouts.

Following a scoreless sixth inning, Jeff Davis put two more runs on the board, aided by a RBI single by Ringuet.

The Jays attempted a late-game rally, begun with a one-out double to left field by Blue Jay reserve Wesley Chachere, who would later score on an RBI double by catcher Taylor Eval, but that was as close as the Eunice team would get.

Hargroder suffered the loss, striking out six batters in three innings of work, while allowing five earned runs.

Blue Jay starter Tyler Rodriguez gave up only four hits in the no decision, striking out three and walking one batter in four innings pitched.

Offensively, Eunice was led by Turk reaching base three times, and Ryan Johnson’s two RBI.

The Blue Jays travel to Crowley today for a 7 p.m. game at Miller Stadium.