In a game which featured 35 runs and 38 hits, the ossier Parish Community Cavaliers outlasted the Brookhaven College Bears 18-17 Monday afternoon at the BPCC Baseball Field.
Former Benton standout Aaron Sheppard continues to swing a hot bat for BPCC as he reached base safely five times, scoring five runs and going 3-for-3.
With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, BPCC’s Chase McCann hit a two-RBI double to give the Cavaliers an 18-14 lead into the ninth. Those insurance runs would prove to be the difference because in the ninth Brookhaven’s Jake Hahn blasted a three-run home run to cut the Cavaliers lead to one. The homer was the second of the day for Hahn as he hit a solo shot in the second inning. Hahn finished the game 3-for-5 with two homers, a double and five runs batted in.
This was a punch, counter punch type of game as the lead changed four times and the game was tied three times. BPCC jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first before Brookhaven would tie the game in the third. The Cavaliers would respond with a couple of runs in the bottom of the third to take a 5-3 before the Bears would tie the game in the fourth.
The fifth inning, which took an hour to play, was a wild and crazy frame. Brookhaven scored eight runs on six hits in the top of the fifth.
The big blow was a three-run home run from first baseman Matt Lowery. One would think an eight-run lead would be safe, but not on this day. BPCC responded with eight runs of its own in the bottom of the inning. Cavs right-fielder Gavin Pelletier had a two-run home run and a two-RBI double in the inning.
The Bears would plate a run in the seven on Anthony Orta’s two-out single which scored Tristin Marcus. Again, BPCC would respond by scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh on Brayden Winn’s two-RBI double. Winn would add an RBI single in the eighth as part of BPCC’s three-run inning, which allowed the Cavaliers to escape with the one-run win.
Pelletier had a memorable day at the plate for BPCC. The freshman from Humble, Texas reached base safely in all six plate appearances. The Cavs leading hitter went 4-for-4 with a double, a home run, a walk, a hit-by-pitch and he scored five runs. He also had four RBIs on the day. Winn and McCann each collected three hits and drove in four runs in the game.
With the win, BPCC improves to 15-25, while the loss drops Brookhaven to 23-14 on the season. The Cavaliers return to Region XIV this weekend when they travel to Corsicana, Texas to take on the East Division leading Navarro College Bulldogs. BPCC and Brookhaven are scheduled to meet again on April 30 in Farmer Branch, Texas.
— Charlie Cavell, BPCC athletic coordinator
