By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

EDGARD – West St. John’s hot start this season came in large part due to a much-improved defensive effort, but some miscues in the field cost the Rams this week in a 9-4 loss to Family Christian.

The Rams’ Barry Hanson Jr. went 3-for-4 with a double and a home run while scoring a pair of runs. Dontre’ Turner went 2-for-4 as well for the Rams.

But a fourth inning that saw West St. John (4-2) commit four errors led to three Family Christian (5-1) runs. It swung the game’s momentum around – prior to that frame, West St. John led 3-2 after scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the second.

“At least four hit balls should have been outs, but weren’t,” said West St. John coach Lennix Madere. “Balls misplayed in the outfield, bad throws in the infield. A tendency to rush throws … it all adds up.

“It’s the type of thing we had done a pretty good job of eliminating. But it became a problem again in that last game.”

WSJ closed to within 5-4 in the fifth inning, but Family Christian put things away by putting four across in the seventh inning.

Devonte Jackson took the loss for the Rams, going the complete game. He allowed four earned runs on seven hits and two walks. He struck out three.

West St. John also struggled a bit offensively. The Rams left 12 men on base and struck out 12 times.

The Rams return to action for a doubleheader today at Ecole Classique. Madere said that the first order of business is to get back to playing solid defensive baseball.

“Like we preach to the kids, you can’t catch a base hit. But the ones you can control, the plays you can make … when you make the plays you should, you’re doing well. If not, it comes back to bite you.”