MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / May 5, 2000

LAPLACE – The last out is the hardest one to get.

Just ask Redemptorist and St. Charles Catholic.Chris Cancienne scored on a wild pitch, capping a five-run, two-out rally for the Comets in the bottom of the seventh and giving them an 8-7 victory over the Wolves in the Class 3A regionals Tuesday afternoon at Comet Field.

St. Charles Catholic (17-14) moves on to play a familiar opponent, E.D.White, in the quarterfinals. The Cardinals advanced with a 10 victory overAmite Tuesday. The teams played three times this season in District 9-3Aplay.

Redemptorist finished its season at 20-13.

St. Charles Catholic entered the seventh inning trailing 7-3. Redemptoriststarter Brennan Wells quickly got two outs as Nick Monica grounded out to second and Toby Jacob flew out to center. Dustin Braud kept the Comets’season alive by drawing a walk. Ricky Madere followed with a double off theleft-center field wall, scoring Braud to cut the deficit to 7-4.

Jason LaPorte worked Wells for a full count before lining a single to center, bringing home Madere. Matt Edwards came in to pitch for the Wolves andwalked Andrew Revall on four pitches. Cancienne, pinch hitting then hit a two-strike grounder to short that skipped past Aaron Landry, scoring courtesy runner Anthony Jacob to make it 7-6.

“It was awesome,” Cancienne said. “It was a dream come true. I wasnervous. I had two strikes on me and I just wanted to put the ball in play.” Edwards went to a full count on Mike Mustian who fouled off two pitches before hitting a flare to center field. David Plaisance dove for the ball buthad it fall in front of him as Revall scored the tying run and Cancienne went to third.

Dan Danburg came in to pitch for the Wolves and walked Jason Waguespack to load the bases. On a 0-1 count to Monica, Danburg bounced a curve thatskipped past catcher Todd Landry. Cancienne raced home, beating Landry’sthrow to Danburg for the winning run.

“When we got two outs and we were down by four runs, we knew everybody had to get on base one at a time,” Monica said. “We knew we had to get onbase any way we could. Everybody did their job and we got back around.”Redemptorist had gotten on the board first in the top of the first against Braud. With two outs, Aaron Landry lined out to first baseman Ricky Maderebut was awarded first on a catcher’s interference. Todd Landry followed witha double to right-center, scoring Landry to give the Wolves a 1-0 lead.

St. Charles Catholic tied the game in the third on Waguespack’s one-outhome run over the left field fence.

Redemptorist went back ahead in the fourth with a four-run rally. With oneout Rok Dickey singled to right and went to second on a wild pitch as Justin Baucum walked. After a wild pitch moved both runners up, Dickey andBaucum scored on Waguespack’s two-base throwing error on Danburg’s grounder to short.

Kris Allain followed with a single to deep short and Ryan Wilcombe walked to load the bases. Plaisance then flew out to left, scoring Danburg. Allain camein on a passed ball, giving the Wolves a 5-1 lead.

St. Charles Catholic pulled to within two in the sixth as Braud led off with awalk and LaPorte homered to right-center an out later. Randy Maderefollowed with a walk and was safe at second as Landry dropped the throw on Justin Chauvin’s ground ball to second. Wells got out of further trouble bygetting Mustian to pop up to first and Waguespack to line out to second.

Redemptorist got those runs back in the top of the seventh. Edwards led offthe inning with a home run to right-center. LaPorte came in to pitch and gotthe next two batters before walking Dickey. Dickey went to second on a balkand scored as Baucum’s grounder went past Waguespack at short, giving the Wolves a 7-3 lead.

Braud went six-plus innings for the Comets, giving up six runs, one earned, on seven hits and two walks while striking out four. LaPorte (8-3) got the win inrelief.

Edwards got the loss for the Wolves in relief. Wells went 6 2/3 innings, givingup six runs, five earned, on six hits and seven walks while striking out four.

“For a young team, we’re pretty resilient,” St. Charles Catholic Frank Monicasaid. “Early on, I thought we were playing tight. Dustin pitched a heck of aballgame and it wasn’t his fault we were trailing. Their pitcher was pitching atremendous game. But the kids didn’t quit. At this time of the year, you haveto have heart. Talent is nice but I’ll take heart over talent any day. We live tofight another battle.”

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