MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / May 19, 1999

THIBODAUX – For the first three innings of the Class 3A state championship game Saturday afternoon, E.D. White pitcher Jake Ritchie didnot appear to be himself.

Lutcher had the Cardinals’ ace rattled, putting five runners on base through the first three innings, including a home run by Tray Haydel, and it looked like it would only be a matter of time before Ritchie’s bubble popped.

But instead of popping, it got stronger as Ritchie held the Bulldogs in check for the rest of the game, leading the Cardinals to their second straight Class 3A state championship with a 11-1 victory at E.D. White.It was the second consecutive season the Cardinals (29-3), the District 10-3A champions, defeated a district foe for the title. E.D. White defeatedPlaquemine, 15-4, for the 1998 state crown.

Lutcher, the District 10-3A runner-up, finished its season at 22-10.

Ritchie (12-0) had to deal with a fired-up Bulldogs team, making its first championship game appearance since 1993, in the early going. With one outin the top of the first, David Miller walked and stole second. But Ritchiecame back to strike out Haydel and got Cleavon Webster to ground out to second to end the inning.

The Bulldogs again threatened in the top of the second, loading the bases with one out on a single by Rusty Crosslin and walks by Damian Ursin and Risley St. Germaine. Again Ritchie was able to get out of trouble, however,striking out Rob Bleakley and Wesley Louque to end the inning.

Lutcher broke through with one out in the top of the third. On a 1-0 count,Haydel launched an opposite field shot into a truck beyond the right field fence, giving the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead.

E.D. White came right back in the bottom of the inning. J.J. Tabor led offwith a walk and advanced to third as Matt Morris doubled to left-center field. Lutcher starter Bo Louque (7-4) then struck out Eric Tate and gotMatt Ory to fly out to right before Ritchie walked to load the bases. JustinChaisson followed with a single to center, plating Tabor and Morris to make it 2-1. Walks by Johnathon Zeringue and Derek Atkins forced inanother run, giving the Cardinals a 3-1 lead.

Bo Louque lined a single to right with one out in the top of the fourth but was left stranded. Wesley Louque led off the fifth by getting hit by a pitchand stealing second but Ritchie came back to get Miller and Haydel to fly out and Webster to strike out.

E.D. White increased its lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the fifth. With oneout, Ritchie lined a shot into left field that bounced over the fence for a ground-rule double and Chaisson singled to left to put runners at the corners. Zeringue followed with a double into the left field corner to makeit 4-1. Atkins added another double to left. Chaisson scored but courtesyrunner David Arceneaux was thrown out at the plate by Crosslin.

A six-run sixth by the Cardinals ended the game courtesy of the 10-run rule. Tabor reached on an error to lead off the inning and went to third on adouble to right by Morris. Crosslin came in to relieve Louque and gave up arun-scoring single to right by Tate. Crosslin struck out Ory but walkedRitchie to load the bases with one out.

Chaisson stepped in and on the first pitch, sent a drive that landed inside the left field foul pole for a grand slam, giving the Cardinals a 10-1 lead.

E.D. White reloaded the bases as Zeringue reached on an error, Atkinssingled to left and Grant Toups walked. Tabor then lined a single to left,scoring Arceneaux with the winning run.

“You have to give them credit, they showed why they are back to back champions,” Lutcher coach Scott Tribble said. “They took advantage of thefew mistakes we made. I’ve yet to see them make a mistake in the field.They’ve got all three aspects of the game – that’s why they’re state champions two years in a row.”Louque pitched five-plus innings, allowing seven earned runs on seven hits while walking six and striking out four. Ritchie went the distance,allowing one run on three hits while walking three and striking out eight.

“He didn’t look like the Ritchie of the past early on,” Tribble said. “Hecame back and got stronger as the game went on and started looking like the Ritchie of the whole season. He loosened up and took charge on themound.”

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