RSS Feed

Top-ranked Sterlington High School had just three hits in Sunday’s Class 3A semifinal contest against No. 4 Berwick.
But the final one proved to be the most important.
Sterlington’s Braden Hough connected on an RBI-single to centerfield in the bottom of the eighth for a 1-0 walk-off victory qualify Sterlington for a trip to the Class 3A finals.
The hit ended a back-and-forth battle between the two teams, especially the pitchers.
Sterlington’s Trey Rugg went all eight innings and surrendered just four hits, while Berwick’s duo of starter Zeph Hoffpauir and reliever Mitchell Sanford combined for 12 strikeouts and just three hits allowed.
Sanford suffered the loss in relief.
Both teams put runners on base throughout the game, particularly Berwick in the later innings, but neither could come up with the timely hit until Hough’s single in the bottom of the eight.
Berwick left runners on base in every inning from the fourth through the eight, including a runner reaching second base in the fifth and eighth innings and runners at second and third in the sixth.
“I told them we just didn’t get the timely hit when we needed to,” Berwick Coach Brandon Bravata said. “Everything else was good, and really, we had the momentum for a lot of the game today. You have to tip your to Zeph Hoffpauir and the way he left it out on the field.”
In the bottom of the seventh, Sterlington had its biggest threat since loading the bases in the top of the first inning.
With at second base and two outs, Hoffpauir had reached his pitch count, so Sanford came on in relief.
While the base runner advanced to third on a pitch that reached the backstop, Sanford struck out the lone batter he faced to end the threat.
In the top of the eighth, Berwick’s Hunter Landry reached base on a one-out walk and stole second base, but the inning ended with a Rugg strikeout.
With the top of the Sterlington lineup up to bat in the bottom of the eighth, Reese Brooks hit a slow roller in play that he reached base on before Berwick could make a play for an infield single.
Brooks advance to second one batter later, but Berwick got the first out when the batter, Seaver Sheets, fouled out on a bunt attempt.
Hough then came up to bat ended the game with his single.
Hoffpauir, who started the game, retired Sterlington in order in four innings. He left the game after pitching 6.2 innings and surrendering one hit, hit two batters, walked three and fanned 11.
Offensively, Hoffpauir, Brett Williams and Ethan Nguyen each finished 1-for-3 for Berwick, while Sanford was 1-for-4.
Hough led Sterlington with a 1-for-4 performance with an RBI.
Sanford pitched 0.2 innings and surrendered one earned run on two hits with one strikeout.
The Panthers finished its season with 30 wins, one more than a year ago when it won the Class 3A state title.
“I judge a season based off of did we max out everything we could with the team, and I really do believe that (we did),” Bravata said. “To get walked off in the eighth in the semifinal, that’s about as much as you can do.”
Berwick will say goodbye to 12 seniors on this year’s squad: Sanford, Hoffpauir, Landry, Shayne Berger, Zeph Delatte, Williams, Nguyen, Barrett Hover, Chad LaGrange, Rustin Ratcliff, Hunter Seneca and Seth Giroir.
“They’ve been a part of a pretty damn good run here in three years,” Bravata said. “Three state tournaments and a state championship, so you can’t beat that.”

HACKBERRY (AP) — President Donald Trump showcased his “America First energy policy” on Tuesday during a trip to Louisiana designed to highlight his administration’s efforts to increase liquefied natural gas exports and boost the country’s energy infrastructure.
Trump toured the outskirts of a $10 billion export terminal that will liquefy natural gas for storage and shipping. The process involves cooling gas vapor to a liquid state. Sempra Energy announced Tuesday ahead of Trump’s visit that the Louisiana plant has begun producing liquefied natural gas and will begin shipping to global markets in the next few weeks.
“Under my administration we have ended the war on America energy and ended the economic assault on our wonderful energy workers,” Trump said in a wide-ranging speech to workers that emphasized energy efforts but also touched on the 2020 Democratic field, the economy and his 2016 election.
Trump cites an increase in liquefied natural gas exports as boosting jobs and cementing the U.S. role as an energy provider for international markets. The administration has also promoted liquefied natural gas from the U.S. as a way for Europe to reduce its reliance on Russia for energy.
“We should be producing energy at home, not enriching foreign adversaries abroad,” Trump said.
Europe will be the largest purchaser of U.S. liquefied natural gas in the future, Gordon Sondland, ambassador to the European Union, told reporters on Air Force One.
“For too long, Europe has been in the stranglehold of Russian LNG and pipe gas. This is the beginning of the end of that stranglehold,” Sondland said.
Declaring that production of liquefied natural gas was increasing, Trump said: “What does it really mean? It means jobs, jobs, jobs.” He also criticized the Democrats’ Green New Deal proposal for aggressively cutting carbon emissions, predicting that “under that deal, everybody in this room gets fired.”
Still, it has not been all good news for U.S. producers. China announced Monday that it planned to increase its tariffs on liquefied natural gas from the U.S. to 25% as the trade war between the two nations intensified.
The president and congressional leaders are trying to work together on an infrastructure package that would boost energy development as well as rebuild roads, bridges and airports. Trump and Democratic leaders agreed to work toward a $2 trillion package, but it will be difficult for lawmakers and the White House to agree on how to pay for it.
Some Republican lawmakers have described raising taxes to pay for public works improvements as “a nonstarter.” Democrats, meanwhile, will be wary of speeding up environmental reviews to hasten construction.
The nation’s top business groups and labor unions support increasing the federal gasoline tax, currently 18.3 cents a gallon. It was last raised in 1993.
Democrats are waiting for Trump to unveil what he can support, knowing an infrastructure package will go nowhere in a Republican-controlled Senate without his strong backing.
As he spoke about his 2020 prospects, Trump made an infrastructure promise to Louisiana, a state that strongly supported him in 2016.
“If we win this election, we’re giving you a brand new I-10 bridge,” he said. “We’re gonna have it all set, ready to go Day One, right after the election.”
Trump also used the official government event to handicap his potential 2020 Democratic opponents. He said that former Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke is “falling fast,” and he mocked former Vice President Joe Biden, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Trump claimed to the crowd: “Bernie’s got a lot of energy. But it’s energy to get rid of your jobs.”
The visit is Trump’s third to Louisiana since he took office. He also used the trip to attend a fundraiser in Metairie.

Clarence J. Poole Sr., 71, a resident of Morgan City, died Tuesday, May 14, 2019, at Terrebonne General Medical Center in Houma.
Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements, which are incomplete at this time.

Jacqueline Joyce Hawkins, 51, a resident and native of Franklin, La., passed away on Sunday, May 5, 2019 at 10:20 p.m. at New Iberia Manor North in New Iberia.
Visitation will be observed on Saturday May 18, 2019 at the Mount Zion Baptist Church 307 Second Street in Franklin, La., from 9 a.m. until funeral services at 11 a.m. Burial will follow funeral services in the Franklin Cemetery-Main Street in Franklin, La. The Pastor Noah Smith will officiate the services.
Memories of Jacqueline will forever remain in the hearts of her mother, Melvina P. Hawkins of Franklin, La.; two sister, Evelyn Hawkins of Franklin, La. and Mrs. Yerol (Lana) Marks of Jeanerette, La.; one brother, Louis Hawkins, Jr. (Debra) of Franklin, La.; three uncles, three aunts, four nieces, two nephews, one great-niece, one great nephew, and a host of other relatives and friends who she call “Boo” and “Friend.”
Jacqueline was preceded in death by her father, one sister, and her maternal grandparents, and paternal grandparents,
Arrangements entrusted to Jones Funeral Home, Inc.
Visit www.jones-funeral-home.com to send condolences to family.