The Benton Tigers aren’t ready for their season to be over.
That was evident Saturday. Needing a sweep against No. 22 seed St. Amant to avoid elimination, the No. 6 Tigers swept the Gators in dominant fashion, winning the first game 10-3 and the second 11-6.
Benton won the non-select Division I second-round playoff series two games to one. St. Amant (19-17) won Game 1 11-6 Friday.
Thanks to No. 14 Destrehan’s second-round upset of No. 3 West Monroe, No. 6 Benton (29-6-2) will be at home in the quarterfinals next week. The Wildcats (27-12) swept the Rebels 1-0 and 5-3.
Haughton’s season came to an end Saturday in Moss Bluff. The Bucs fell to defending champion and No. 2 seed Sam Houston 7-3 in Game 2 of their second-round series. The Broncos won Game 1 Friday 4-0.
Haughton closed its season 22-16. Sam Houston improved to 28-8.
At Benton, the Tigers limited the Gators to five hits in the first game. Starter Cole Snell allowed just four hits. Bryson Gates gave up one hit and no runs in one inning of relief.
After a scoreless first inning, Benton put six on the board in the second.
Bud Burns had two singles in the inning. Slade Stephens, Brody Turnipseed and Hayden Millen had one apiece. Kannon Greer’s bases-loaded triple scored the game’s first three runs. Harrison Miller recorded an RBI on a sacrifice fly.
The Tigers added two in the fifth and two in the sixth.
Benton had 11 hits. Burns went 3-for-4. Millen went 2-for-3. Underwood had two RBI.
The Tigers had another big inning in the second game, scoring eight in the third after St. Amant took a 2-1 lead in the top of the inning.
Turnipseed’s two-run double with one out put Benton ahead to stay a 3-2. Snell followed with a two-run home run.
Millen singled, stole second, advanced to third on an error and scored on a wild pitch. Miller scored on a sacrifice bunt by Stephens. Greer’s two-RBI double made it 9-2. Burns and Underwood, who drew walks, scored.
The Tigers extended the lead to 11-2 with two in the fourth. St. Amant didn’t go down easily, scoring four in the sixth. But Underwood sat the Gators down in order in the top of the seventh.
Benton had nine hits. Turnipseed went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Snell and Millen both went 2-for-4.
Starting pitcher Stephens allowed six hits with three strikeouts and three walks in 5 1/3 innings.
At Sam Houston, Haughton hung with the Broncos most of the game. Sam Houston scored one in the second and two in the fourth.
The Bucs cut the deficit to one with two in the bottom of the fourth. The Broncos added two in the sixth. Haughton got within 5-3 with one in the bottom of the inning. Sam Houston tacked on two more in the seventh.
Haughton had six hits. Seth Jorstad had two doubles and drew a walk. Russ Barrett went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI. CT Woodard and Carson Plant had one single each.