By DAVID FOLSE II and

KEITH GILLIES

Sports Editor and Contributor

HOUSTON – America Mortgage Resource, the NOAH based, 19 year-old Babe Ruth team, recently competed in the annual “Houston Bash” baseball tournament at the University of Houston. The team finished the tournament with two wins and two losses in one of the more prestigious tournaments in the southwest. The tournament ended on July 3.

“We needed to find top flight competition before our state tournament,” said Scott Boudreaux, AMR’s head coach. He added, “So many of the senior age group players in greater New Orleans play Legion ball, it is hard to get quality games for a Babe Ruth All-Star 19 team. The Houston tournament has some of the best teams in Texas. We had an opportunity to play those teams.”

In the first game, AMR faced the first of two Houston area high school All-Star teams, winning 2-0. The game was a defensive gem, with neither team committing an error. America’s Mortgage Resource started ace Alex McCollum, the former East St. John star, but only pitched him for an inning. “Alex had not pitched in a few weeks, so we needed to get him a little work. We made a decision to pitch by committee in game one to save our pitchers in the Houston heat. It was over 110 degrees on the field each day,” stated Boudreaux.

AMR broke the game open with a triple by Trayvon Lilly, also of East St. John, in the fifth inning. He scored on a double by McCollum. In the sixth inning, Blake Gillies of LaPlace, who prepped at Brother Martin, tripled. Collis Linson, formerly of East St. John and now at Grambling University, doubled driving in Gillies. Roland Rodrique, of Vacherie and E.D. White High School, pitched four innings, giving up three hits, for the win. Jordy Perrilloux of Lutcher High School threw the final two scoreless innings, picking up the save.

In game two, AMR faced the best team in the tournament, Kyle Chapman. They lost 122, in a game marred by five AMR errors. “We had two much fun the night before the game,” stated Boudreaux. He added, “We had two players out with ankle sprains and could not get our bats working.” Third base coach Herb Stell added, “We did not give Alex (McCollum) any help early. In one inning he had to get seven outs, with our errors.”

The errors continue in game three as AMR faced the Dallas Fever as the NOAH Babe Ruth team lost 5-2. “Blake (Gillies) was our game three scheduled starter. We had the error bug bite again. Blake had seven strike outs and one walk, but we had three unearned runs,” said Boudreaux. “We lost to a team not as good as us,” added Stell.

In their final game, AMR faced a select team from Mesquite, Texas, winning 10-9 with five runs in the bottom of the last inning. Matt Stell started the game with three no-hit innings. In the fourth he gave up three runs and was relieved by Gillies. “Blake had a couple of innings left in him. Roland and Alex had sore arms and Lilly was catching. So, we went with Blake. He got us through one inning, but we probably left him in one batter too long in the heat,” said Boudreaux. Perrilloux relieved Gillies for the last three outs, but the damage was done. America’s Mortgage Resource gave up six runs on four hits with three errors, with only two runs earned.

In the bottom half of the last inning, the AMR bats came alive. Jamal “Moonie” Breaux (East St. John), McCollum and Stanley Borne (East St. John) all singled. Alex Collins (East St. John) then singled in Breaux and McCollum. Stell flied out for out one, bringing up the top of the order. Nick Falgoust (Riverside Academy) singled in Borne as AMR trailed by one run, 9-8. Falgoust stole second while Perrilloux grounded out, bringing up Gillies with two on and two out. Gillies doubled in to deep right center, scoring Collins and Falgoust. Herb Stell remarked, “When he hit it I told Keith (Gillies) its out of here. But the right fielder chased it down at about 370 feet, with the ball just bouncing off of his outstretched glove. What a great finish! We needed that win.”

AMR is 7-3 for the season and begins the state championship tournament this weekend in Abbeville. Last year the team finished third in the state, losing to eventual state champion Denham Springs. Other team members include Greg Sentimore (East St. John), Steven Perrilloux (East St. John) and Wes Hotard (Riverside and Nicholls State University).

NOAH is the only program in the area for players 15 years and older. They will compete in the 16 and 19 and under tournaments this summer.