All information derived from The New Orleans Advocate article.
Brother Martin advanced to the Division I baseball semi-finals with a 7-6 victory over two-time champion John Curtis on Sunday that followed a familiar script co-authored by one unlikely source.
Trailing 6-1 through five innings, Martin (26-5) scored three runs in both the sixth and seventh innings at Kirsch-Rooney to win its 11th game of its last 12.
The No. 2-seeded Crusaders meet No. 3 seed St. Paul’s at 7:30 p.m. Thursday night at McMurry Park in Sulphur in the LHSAA Allstate Sugar Bowl Baseball tournament.
To get there, it took 2⅓ innings of hitless relief from senior pitcher Collin Ardon, who followed a simple plan.
“My job is to try to throw strikes, get us . . . off the field as quickly as possible and let our bats do what they’ve been doing all season — get runs,” Ardon said.
In the decisive seventh, Brennan Sturpich '20 opened the inning with a single, and Tre’ Morgan '20 walked for the third time. The next two batters were retired, and Curtis was one out from forcing a second game Sunday in the best-of-three series.
A wild pitch advanced Stuprich and Morgan and both scored when pinch hitter Shane Griffin '20 tied the game with a hard-hit single to right.
Freshman Julian Oubre, a junior varsity regular who was playing Sunday because of an injury to a regular, delivered the decisive at-bat.
Oubre hit a ground ball to shortstop and reached on a throwing error. Griffin, who was running on the play, reached third and then scored on a throwing error from first.
“My heart was racing like really fast,” Oubre said of his at-bat. “I was really nervous.
“Our seniors are always saying keep fighting, keep fighting.”
Before he came up in the seventh one of those seniors offered advice.
“Kayden Nash told me to stay calm and just do what you do. Easier said than done,” Oubre said.
Two-time defending state champion Curtis (15-15) opened its 6-1 lead by scoring four times in the third inning on six base hits and added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings.
Doubles by Austin McCready and Logan O'Neill, and then singles from Amir Philips and Gareth Leblanc each scored runs. Successful steals of home added single runs in the fourth and fifth.
“We never consider ourselves out,” Ardon said. “No matter what, we’re always going to fight. We are always going to be in the game.”
“What makes this team special,” Crusaders coach Jeff Lupo said, “ is it doesn’t rely on one guy to carry (it). Up and down the lineup we were able to put pressure on them. We made big plays and big pitches when we needed to.”
