After losing Game 1 of their best-of-3 non-select Division I second-round playoff series, the Benton Tigers and Haughton Bucs need doubleheader sweeps Saturday to avoid elimination.
Benton, the No. 6 seed, fell to No. 22 St. Amant 11-6 at Benton. The game was suspended because of a thunderstorm with one out in the top of the seventh at about 8:30 and declared over about 10.
Game 2 is scheduled for noon Saturday. If Benton wins, Game 3 is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Haughton, the No. 18 seed, fell to No. 2 Sam Houston 4-0 in Moss Bluff. Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. If the Bucs win, Game 3 is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
In a non-select Division IV first-round game, No. 22 seed Plain Dealing fell to No. 11 Delcambre 20-0 in 20-0 in two innings. The Lions closed their season 12-17.
At Benton, the Tigers gave up three runs in the top of the first then scored four in the bottom of the inning. Benton added two more in the second.
After a scoreless third, St. Amant scored eight with two outs in the top of the fourth. The Gators had five singles in the frame. They also took advantage of four walks, an error and a hit-by-pitch.
Benton had 12 hits. Brody Turnipseed, Cole Snell and Hayden Millen all went 2-for-3 with one RBI apiece. Snell had a double. Case Jorden went 2-for-4.
Harrison Miller had a single and two RBI. Bud Burns, Tate Underwood and Kannon Greer had singles.
Benton used five pitchers. Underwood pitched two scoreless innings of relief.
St. Amant had 10 hits. Cooper Templet, Arden Millet, Landon Blanchard, Carter Stevens and Parker Guidry all had two singles.
Tucker Miller pitched a complete game with seven strikeouts.
St. Amant improved to 19-16. Benton dropped to 27-6-2.
At Sam Houston, the game was basically a pitchers’ duel. Each team had only one hit through four innings.
The Broncos broke through with three runs in the bottom of the fifth on two walks, an error, a sacrifice fly and two singles. Sam Houston added one in the sixth on a home run by Grant Oustalet.
McNeese State signee Owen Galley pitched a two-hitter with 10 strikeouts and two walks.
Haughton’s Seth Jorstad allowed four hits, struck out four and walked two.
Maddox Williams and Carson Plant had Haughton’s hits, both singles.
Defending state champion Sam Houston improved to 27-8. Haughton dropped to 22-15.