St. Charles Catholic hitters unable to get things going in 4-3 loss

By JOHNNY PEPPO

Sports Editor

MONROE – On an afternoon where the Comets offense just couldn’t get anything going, St. Charles baseball team kept on finding a way. But after SCC’s Roland Ricca came in on a bunt to tie it up in the bottom of the seventh, the defending state champion Ouachita Christian Eagles pulled it out in extra innings on a hit past shortstop to take the eventual 4-3 victory, finishing the Comets season with a 26-6 record.

It was a tough game all-around for St. Charles as they recorded no hits while giving up 16 on the defensive side. Despite the obvious disadvantage on the stat sheet, SCC was in this one at every turn. They actually led the game in the top of the first after Matt Helm grounded out to score Olasin. That lead lasted until the third inning when Ouachita broke out with six hits and seven base-runners. They had two runners in scoring position before the Comets got an out. But SCC starter Stephen Duhe managed the game from the mound and ended the burst after three runs getting the Eagle’s Cody Sisson to line out to second base, thereby stranding three for the inning.

Magic seemed to happen in the bottom of the seventh as the Comets were down 3-2. Ricca reached on an error as the leadoff for the inning, stole second and made it all the way to third on a wild pitch. Kyle Fauchex reached base immediately afterwards on a walk before Ouachita went to the bullpen.Ricca made it in on a sac bunt by Kyle Olasin which tied the score with one out remaining and a runner in scoring range, but SCC could not capitalize.

Things stayed fairly conservative in the first two innings of overtime as neither team wanted to give the other a chance to do any damage. But the Eagles broke the tie in the top of the tenth with a slurry of base-runners, scoring one to take a 4-3 advantage.

The Comets just couldn’t get any more magic to come up when they needed it against the Ouachita defense and went three up and down to end St. Charles post-season run.

St. Charles Catholic finishes the season with a 24-6 overall record.