Inclement weather halts Berwick-Sterlington game

No. 4 Berwick and No. 1 Sterlington played roughly half of their Class 3A semifinal Thursday at McMurry Park, but spent much of the day waiting due to lightning delays before the days’ action was called and postponed to Sunday.
The teams endured two lightning delays, the second of which ended the action for the day.
Now, the teams will meet Sunday at 10:30 a.m. on Field 40 at McMurry Park to conclude the contest.
Berwick and Sterlington were part of the day’s first contests, so all of Thursday’s action was postponed.
Because inclement weather was expected to continue in the area, the Louisiana High School Athletic Association made the decision to move the games to Sunday.
Berwick’s game was scoreless in the top of the fourth when it was halted. The Panthers were batting with one out and Hunter Landry facing an 0-2 count.
While Berwick has put every ball in play thus far, the Panthers have no hits and have had no baserunners.
“We’ve squared some ball up that just haven’t fallen,” Berwick Coach Brandon Bravata said.
Trey Rugg has struck out one in 3.1 innings.
Sterlington has one hit, a single to centerfield by Davis Johnson, and five base runners.
Three of those baserunners came in the bottom of the first when Berwick pitcher Zeph Hoffpauir had to work his way out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam. Hoffpauir did so with back-to-back strikeouts.
In three innings, Hoffpauir has surrendered one hit, walked two, hit two batters and fanned five.
“We got ourselves out of a jam early,” Bravata said. “I thought Zeph’s done a good job so far competing.”
Bravata said Thursday evening he wasn’t sure yet what Berwick would do, pitching wise, for the rest of the game, whether it would be bringing back Hoffpauir or using ace Seth Canty or turning to Mitchell Sanford.
“It’ll be something we’ll have to sit down and discuss and try to figure out,” he said.
Bravata said he expects Sterlington to pitch Rugg again Sunday.