MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / March 10, 1999

LUTCHER – Rusty Crosslin pitched a two-hitter and Rob Bleakley capped a seven-run fourth with a home run as Lutcher blanked East St. John, 10-0,in the Toot Ganier Memorial Tourna-ment Saturday afternoon at Lutcher.

Lutcher fell to St. Charles Catholic, 6-5, in the tournament’s championshipgame Sunday afternoon, evening the Bulldogs’ record at 4-4. The Bulldogshad opened the tournament with a 13-3 win over St. James Thursdayafternoon.

East St. John (2-6) threatened in the first inning against Crosslin (1-1).Brandon Mason led off with a walk, stole second and went to third on a balk.

After Crosslin struck out Randy Sutherland, Kent Roussell was hit by a pitch and courtesy runner Clarence Lee stole second. Crosslin then gotRoydell Williams to fly out to Wesley Louque in short right with both runners holding. Louque then chased down Samson Monica’s fly ball to thewarning track to end the inning.

Lutcher got a run in the bottom of the inning off Roussell. David Millergrounded back to Roussell to open the inning and reached as Roussell’s throw went into the dirt at first.

After a sacrifice bunt by Louque, Troy Haydel grounded back to Roussell who threw low to first base, putting runners at first and third. CleavonWebster then popped up over second with Miller coming in to score as Monica caught the ball over his shoulder.

The Bulldogs added two runs in the bottom of the third as Haydel was hit by a pitch and went to third on an errant pick-off throw by Roussell.

Webster followed with a double into the left-center field gap, scoring Haydel.

Crosslin reached as his grounder went past Mason at short. After BoLouque popped up, Damian Ursin flied out to right to bring in Webster, giving the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead.

East St. John put runners on the corner with one out in the fourth asJeremy Mitchell walked, went to second on a wild pitch and to third on a balk as Darwin Pittman walked. Crosslin then got Jerome Anderson to popup to first and struck out Tie Reese looking to end the inning.

Lutcher then broke the game open in the bottom of the inning. Roussellwalked Louque to open the inning and was replaced by Rodrick Marshall.

Marshall walked Haydel and Webster before being relieved by Terron Charles.

Crosslin greeted Charles with a single to left to score Louque. Bo Louquefollowed with a double into the right-center field gap, plating Haydel and Webster to make it 6-0. Ursin then brought in courtesy runner TrentBourgeois with his second sacrifice fly to right.

After Scott Ocmond walked, Bleakley took the first pitch and knocked it over the left-center field wall, giving the Bulldogs a 10-run lead.

Crosslin retired the side in order in the top of the fifth to end the game.

He finished the game with three walks and three strikeouts.

“Rusty did the same thing against East Ascension,” Lutcher coach Scott Tribble said of Crosslin’s first inning. “He had a rough first inning and gotout of it with no runs. You can’t coach that. It comes from the heart. Whenyou get really good pitching, the batters get confidence and when they get confidence, they can do anything.”

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