MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / May 4, 1999

LAPLACE – The Bulldog feasted Monday afternoon.

John Price pitched a one-hitter, struck out out 13 and drove in the only run of the game as St. Charles Catholic advanced to the quarterfinals with a1-0 victory over Jewel Sumner at Comet Field.

St. Charles Catholic (27-5) will play Ridgewood in the quarterfinals.Ridgewood (23-9) defeated Oakdale, 8-6, Monday.

Sumner, the District 8-2A champions, finished the season at 15-8.

Price, throwing mostly fastballs with a mixture of changeups and curves, gave up just a lead-off single by Wayne Lemoine in the fourth.

Sumner loaded the bases with no outs in that inning as Steven Blades reached on an error and Jason Graham was hit by a pitch, but Price (8-1) came back to strike out the side. It was the start of a string of sixstraight strikeouts for the senior lefthander.

“I wasn’t nervous,” Price, who closed out the Comets’ bi-district victory over Episcopal Thursday, said. “I took care of the situation I was dealtwith. I was ready, ready to be the bulldog as coach would say.”Coach Frank Monica would say that he was impressed with Price’s performance.

“John was one of those guys that raised the bar today,” Monica said. “Hetook his pitching to another level and went after the hitters.”The Comets got the only run of the game in the bottom of the third. Withone out, Jarrett Maurin hit a flare into right field, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. One out later, Price hit a pop up that fell intoshort right, bringing home Maurin.

Wayne Stein followed with a double off the wall in right-center, sending courtesy runner Ricky Madere to third, but Sumner starter Steven Blades got Courtney Bonura to pop up to end the inning.

Blades (8-2), who has verbally committed to Tulane, matched Price, giving up just those three hits. Blades struck out seven and walked two in goingthe distance, retiring the final 10 batters he faced.

“You have to give them a lot of credit,” Monica said of Sumner. “Theirpitcher had great command of his pitches. It was a heck of a pitcher’s duel. Two fisted hits turned out to be the difference in the ball game.”

Riverside 9, Pope John Paul II 5

SLIDELL – Sean Delaneu-ville had a home run and five runs batted in as Riverside eliminated defending Class 2A champion Pope John Paul II from the state regionals, 9-5.

Riverside (25-4) will play North Vermillion in the quarterfinals. Pope JohnPaul finished at 15-15.

Delaneuville hit a three-run shot in the first inning. Britt Waguespackadded a two-run home run in the second as the Rebels took a 6-2 lead.

Casey Duhe (9-2) picked up the win for the Rebels with Joey Poirrier coming in in relief.

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