Blue Jays capture Louisiana championship over Lafayette

Twice before, Lafayette High had rallied from early deficits to post victories at the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Class 5A State Baseball Tournament. 

The third time would not be the charm the Lions needed to win a state title.

Jesuit scored five runs in the top of the first and persevered through four errors to take a 5-4 victory over Lafayette in the title game played Saturday night at Tulane’s Turchin Stadium. 

“We came out flat,” Lafayette coach Sam Taulli said. “We got ourselves behind the eight-ball, and I took a few chances (with baserunners) that maybe I shouldn’t have. 

“The kids battled and clawed the whole time. We were trying to get a little at a time, Jesuit did what they needed to do.” 

With the win, Jesuit (29-5) won its 20th state title in baseball and its fourth in 10 years for first-year coach Joey Latino. Lafayette (30-5) finishes as the 5A runner-up for the second straight season. 

Title-game Outstanding Player Bubba Riley finished 3-for-4 at the plate and also helped throw out one LHS runner at the plate. Armand Daigle and (2-for-4) and Tony Fortier-Bensen (2-for-3) were other leaders for the Blue Jays, who last won the 5A baseball title in 2007. 

Nick LeBlanc was 2-for-3 at the plate for Lafayette.  The Lions got the leadoff runner on in every inning, but struggled to score, going 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position and 3-for-20 with runners on base. 

Though Riley and Fortier-Bensen kept one Lafayette run from scoring in the fourth, four errors helped give Lafayette chances to score.  Starter Jonathan Hess got the win. Emerson Gibbs, the third Jesuit pitcher, got the save as the Blue Jays won their third one-run game in two days. Starter Adam Derouen took the loss for LHS. 

“At this stage, we were going to do whatever it took to win,” Jesuit’s Latino said. “To have won three one-run ball games is just a testament to these boys and how hard they work and how much they believe in what we’re doing. I’m very fortunate to be a part of this. 

“We were on our heels a little bit, and I give Lafayette credit for that. They played very hard. There was no quit in Lafayette. We had to fight them off at the end. We were very fortunate that we had that cushion early in the game and lucky enough it carried us through.”

The Blue Jays sent 10 batters to the plate in the top of the first inning and scored five runs. Riley, Daigle, Josh Faciane and Fortier-Bensen opened the game with consecutive singles.  Fortier-Bensen’s hit brought home one run. The other runs scored on a fielder’s choice, a wild pitch, a groundout and an error. 

Jesuit missed chances to score more runs when runners got caught between bases twice.  Lafayette got hits in the first two innings, but didn’t score until the third.  Dylan Frey was hit by a pitch and scored on a ground out by Tyler Douglas. 

Jesuit made some big plays behind Hess.  In the fourth, the Blue Jays threw out a Lafayette runner following a double by Tyler Rebowe. A relay from Riley, to shortstop Fortier-Bensen and on to catcher Luke Voiron kept pinch runner Cody Gil from scoring. 

Lafayette added a run in the bottom of the fifth. Steven Thibeaux reached on an error, took second on a wild pitch and eventually scored on an error. But the Lions had to ponder what might have been.  Jesuit lifted Hess and brought on reliever Brandon Shearman. Lafayette went on to load the bases, but Shearman struck Jordan Romero to end the threat after only the one run came across.  The Lions added two runs in the sixth. 

Zack Venable reached on an infield hit and moved to second on a hit by Thibeaux. An error that allowed Frey to reach brought Venable in to score. Thibeaux scored again on a fielder’s choice. 

In the seventh, Jace Conrad led off with a single, but was thrown out trying to steal second by Voiron. Shearman retired the next two batters to close out the game.