By BRET H. MCCORMICK, Journal Sports
Three Rapides Parish baseball teams punched their tickets to Sulphur last week.
Menard, Grace Christian and Rapides all earned spots in this week’s state baseball tournament at Sulphur’s McMurry Park with quarterfinal victories.
Menard, the fourth seed in Division III Select, swept No. 5 Dunham, 5-2 and 11-0, to advance to face top-seeded and defending state champion St. Charles Catholic at 2 p.m. Wednesday.
Coen Laroux pitched a complete game, giving up five hits and two runs, to win Game 1 on Thursday as the Eagles (23-8) scored four runs in the sixth inning. Case Butterfield’s two-run single to center was the big hit of the inning.
Cooper Scott threw a one-hit shutout with eight strikeouts to finish off the series on Friday while hitting two doubles at the plate. Drake Aldredge provided a three-run home run, while Laroux had a double and three RBIs and Ben Wade added a double and two RBIs.
Grace Christian, the No. 2 seed in Division V Select, exploded for a 21-0 victory over Downsville to advance to the semifinals, where the Warriors (26-9) will face No. 3 Family Community at 11 a.m. Tuesday.
Kanyon Wright and Seth Cook both went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs to lead the Warriors against Downsville, while Maddox Attales went 3-for-4 with a double and four RBIs. Brayden Wells drove in four runs and scored four runs.
No. 5 Rapides upset fourth-seeded Family Christian in Baton Rouge, 16-3, and will face top seed and defending state champion Avoyelles Charter at 11 a.m. Tuesday.
The Mustangs (13-16) broke a 3-3 tie with four runs in the fourth and finished off the game with a nine-run fifth. Leadoff batter Phoenix Peart had four hits and four runs scored, while Craig Chamberlain went 2-for-2 with a double, two RBIs and two runs.
TIOGA, MENARD WIN TRACK TITLES: The Tioga boys claimed the Class 4A state outdoor track and field championship on Saturday, while Menard’s girls won the 2A title on Friday.
The Indians tallied 60 points at the meet to finish six points ahead of Warren Easton.
Gunnar Delaney won the javelin with a throw of 169 feet, 1 inch to lead seven podium finishes for the Indians. Max Kadrmas finished second in the 300-meter hurdles (38.37) and third in the 110 hurdles (15.12), while Ja’Corian Norris (44-11) and Kervin Johnson (44-9) finished second and third in the triple jump.
Kaleb Woolery turned in a third-place finish in the pole vault (12-5.25), while the 1,600-meter relay team of Wyatt Smith, Kadrmas, Woolery and Bradley Riccardi finished third in a time of 3 minutes, 22.18 seconds.
A’Shyria Burns, Cami Harrison and Carly Meynard all won events to lead Menard’s effort as the Lady Eagles tallied 91 points to finish six ahead of runner-up Newman.
Burns won the 100 meters (12.18) and 100-meter hurdles (14.35) while finishing second in the long jump (17-6.75) and triple jump (37-7.5). Harrison placed on the podium three times, winning the pole vault (10-5.25) and finishing second in the 100 hurdles (15.42) and 300 hurdles (47.08).
Meynard won the shot put (35-3.25) and finished second in the discus (116-7), while Olivia Marcantel finished third in the pole vault (9-11.25).
Menard’s boys finished in a tie for 13th with 14 points, while Tioga’s girls finished in a tie for 21st place with eight points. Tamiyah Howard led the Lady Indians with a third-place finish in the shot put (33-11).
In Saturday’s Class 5A meets, Alexandria Senior High’s girls finished sixth with 34 points and the boys were ninth with 22 points. Pineville’s girls finished 34th with two points. Peabody finished tied for 35th in the Class 4A boys meet with one point.
ASH senior Hunter Rivet broke his own school record with a throw of 179-0 on the final toss of his high school career to win the discus, while the boys’ 800-meter relay team of Jordan Johnson, Ja’voric Allen, Jaylin Johnson and JT Lindsey finished second in 1:26.51.
The girls’ 400- and 800-meter relay teams that featured Sanyla Atkins, Kelise Kelly, Jakyra Edwards, Reana Dupar and Amari Dupar finished second with times of 47.18 and 1:40.08, while Raegan Monroe finished third in the 1,600 meters (5:08.73).
Grace Christian’s girls, led by Audrey Tarver’s win in the 100 hurdles (17.00), finished 11th in Thursday’s Class B meet with 17.5 points, while the boys were 12th with 18 points. Tucker McCoy won the javelin (179-2), while Brandt Rachel was third in the 3,200 meters (10:48.88).
McCoy will become the second parish thrower to sign with Louisiana Tech during a signing ceremony at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, joining ASH’s Rivet, who signed on April 30.
The Rapides girls, led by a third-place finish in the discus by Teema Perkins (91-9), finished in a tie for 16th in Class B with eight points, while Oak Hill was 23rd with five.
Oak Hill’s boys tied for 20th with two points, while Northwood-Lena’s girls tied for 27th with four points in the Class 1A meet and Buckeye’s girls tied for 23rd with four points in Friday’s Class 3A meet.
STATE GOLF RESULTS: Although no Rapides Parish teams qualified for the state golf championships, Tioga’s Morgan Goudeau and Menard’s Hunter Vaughn both competed as individuals.
Goudeau carded rounds of 89 and 85 to finish the Division I girls tournament at 26-over-par, good for 15th place at the par-74 Les Vieux Chenes Golf Club in Youngsville.
Vaughn finished in a tie for 32nd place in the Division III boys tournament, carding rounds of 88 and 85 during a rigorous 36-hole day at the par-72 The Farm d’Allie in Carencro to finish at 29-over. The tournament was shortened from two days to one because of the weather.