By RYAN ARENA

Sports Editor

In two meetings with St. Charles this season, it’s been the fourth – not the third – time that’s been the charm for Lutcher.

That’s fourth, as in, the fourth inning. Twice this season, Lutcher’s rode explosive fourth inning scoring surges to victories. The first On Tuesday, the Bulldogs’s did one better, notching a seven run fourth and riding it all the way to an 8-1 victory at home in a District 9-3A game.

“It was just like the last time,” said Lutcher Coach Davey Clement. “We’re not looking for that kind of inning, but it’s just the way it happened, and you just try to keep it going. I’ll take it.”

For Lutcher starting pitcher Joey Bourgeois, it was more than enough support. He tossed a two-hitter – both hits coming from the Comets’ Corey Reed – while striking out seven.

“I felt pretty good coming in. St. Charles is a big rivalry game, and I knew after last time they’d come out swinging,” said Bourgeois. “I was able to hit my spots, and fortunately we came out on top.”

The win put Lutcher in control of the 9-3A race, with games remaining with Port Allen today and Plaquemine on Monday. The team was scheduled to face Brusly on Thursday. A victory in any one of those games would wrap up the district crown.

The Bulldogs have won five of their last six games.

Lutcher’s Jerome Bradford led off the fourth with a single. After SCC starter Brady Hitt struck out Quinn LeBlanc, Bourgeois singled to set the table for Jordan Roussel, who drove in the game’s first run with a single.

Corey Poche reached on an error, allowing another run to score, making it 2-0. Jordan Hymel then recorded the big hit of the inning, tripling to clear the bases, making it 4-0.

A RBI single by Bradford and an RBI triple by Gavin Webster ran the score to 6-0. Finally, Webster scored on a passed ball to end the inning with Lutcher ahead, 7-0.

Roussel hit a home run in the sixth to make it 8-0.

Brandon Becker’s sacrifice fly scored Reed for St. Charles’ lone run on the day.

“Things just snowballed,” said St. Charles Coach Paul Waguespack. “We only had two hits, so there isn’t much to say. We shot ourselves in the foot.”

 Clement hinted that his team may not have seen the last of St. Charles, though.

“They’re a team that nobody wants to face in the playoffs,” he said. “When you’ve got these two teams, it could easily have gone the other way.”