By JOHNNY PEPPO

Sports Editor

The Wildcats stopped a four game skid Saturday, picking up a 10-9 win over Berwick in their final game in the Thibodaux tournament. And the ESJ coaches are hoping to use the win as a springboard going into the district stretch in the schedule.

&#8220It was a good game all-around for us,” said ESJ assistant coach John Gibney of the outing Saturday. &#8220We’re going to try and make that win against Berwick as a turning point into district. That’s going in on a good note and that’s confidence that we can use. If we can keep the errors down, we can compete with Hahnville this Thursday.”

The Wildcat’s 5-5A River Parish opponents have been successful this year as Hahnville leads the district with a 12-5 record while Destrehan has gone 9-7. The defending district champion HHS Tigers are the first to meet ESJ with a tilt set for Thursday in Hahnville. The Wildcats complete a road trip with games at John Ehret and West Jefferson on Saturday and Tuesday. ESJ’s first district game on their home field puts them against Destrehan on April 3.

In Thibodaux last week, East St. John opened the tournament with a 9-2 loss to the host school. Steven Haniford got the start against Thibodaux, going four innings. He struck out two in the first, and stranded a pair of baserunners in the second.

Thibodaux broke a 0-0 tie in the third with a pair of runs in the third before blowing it open with a seven run fourth. Freshman Andre Simmons came on for the fifth and held the THS batters in check. But ESJ’s offense just couldn’t get much going as the Wildcats could manage only four hits. Mickail Singleton got the first as the leadoff batter in the first inning. Justin Howard opened the second inning with a single. Corwin Brown led ESJ from the box, posting their two last hits with a double in the fifth and another in the seventh.

The Wildcats took on Vandebilt Catholic next in a 8-1 loss where ESJ showed two innings of good work, but couldn’t get anything to make it into home.

Singleton led the Wildcats from the box, going 3-for-4 with a double. Only two other hits were made in the game, coming from David George and Butler. Brandon Trant took the loss.

The final game of the tournament had ESJ against Berwick where Singleton led the Wildcats with two hits and a walk in a 10-9 win.

&#8220We can start off district on a good note Thursday if we keep the errors down,” Gibney said. &#8220District is when it to all start to come together.”