MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / April 5, 2000

RESERVE – It wasn’t the prettiest of games but St. James coach Davey Clement will take it.

Thaddeus Sutherland drove in Jason Rome with the eventual run in the top of the seventh as the Wildcats defeated Reserve Christian, 7-5, Saturday afternoon.

St. James improved to 9-11 overall while Reserve Christian fell to 7-7.Rome, who had entered the game in the bottom of the fourth, led off the seventh with a grounder between second and third. Shortstop Seth Guidrymade a diving stop but Rome was able to beat the throw to first. Rome thenwent to second as Boyd Laurent laid down a bunt to pitcher Paul Labiche.

Sutherland followed with a single up the middle, bringing in Rome to give the Wildcats a 6-5 lead. Sutherland then stole second, went to third on a wildpitch and scored on another wild pitch as Seth Folse walked.

St. James starter Mitch Cortez retired the first two hitters in the bottom ofthe inning. Guidry kept the inning alive with a single to right and went tosecond on a wild pitch. Labiche followed with a walk with Bo Bourgeois comingin to pitch. Bourgeois struck out Jason Coons on three pitches to end thegame.

“We couldn’t hold them on base,” Reserve Christian coach Timmy Byrd said.

“We had chances to win. We had the guy we wanted at the plate and he hadthree good swings.”St. James took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Sutherland led off with awalk, went to second on a wild pitch, to third on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch. Bourgeois homered to left field in the top of the third to make it2-0.

Reserve Christian tied the game in the bottom of the third. With two outs,Guidry was hit by a pitch. Labiche followed with a home run to left field,knotting the score at 2.

St. James regained the lead in the top of the fourth. With one out, AnthonyNassar reached on an error stole second and third and scored as catcher Nathan Louque’s throw went into left field.

The Eagles tied the game again in the bottom half of the inning. Dustin Youngreached on a throwing error to open the inning. After Cortez struck out thenext two batters, Jared Simoneaux reached on an error as Young scored, tying the game at 3.

St. James again went ahead in the top of the fifth. Laurent reached on anerror to open the inning and stole second. Sutherland then lined a single toleft, bringing in Laurent. Sutherland, who had advanced to second on thethrow to the infield, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on another wild pitch to make it 5-3. Sutherland went 2-for-3 with two runs batted in andthree runs scored.

Louque led off the bottom of the inning with a single to center and Guidry followed by getting hit by a pitch. After both runners moved up on a wildpitch, Louque beat Dustin Deslatte’s throw to the plate on Coons’ grounder to first. Guidry then came in as Cortez’s pickoff throw went off Deslatte’sglove, tying the game at 5.

Cortez (1-1) went 6 2/3 innings, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out six. Labiche (2-1) went the distance, giving up five hits and threewalks while striking out 14.

“Mitch did really good,” Clement said. “He threw a lot of strikes and he mixedhis pitches well.

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