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No. 1 Central Catholic’s bid for a repeat state championship came to a heartbreaking end Friday as the squad was upset by No. 11 seed and District 7-1A f o e A s c e n s i o n Episcopal, 7-3, at McMurry Park.
While the Eagles overcame an early deficit, miscues and timely hitting by Ascension Episcopal doomed the Eagles.
Central Catholic Coach Tyler Jensen said he told his team in the past that walks and errors are how they lose playoff games, and those two aspects factored into their loss.
“That’s kind of what happened, and they got a couple of big hits,” Jensen said. “They just beat us. They out played us, they out coached us, the whole nine yards, and sometimes you got to just tip your cap to the other team. It just happened for them.”
The loss snapped a 14-game winning streak that included a series sweep of the Blue Gators in District 7-1A action earlier this season. The Eagles faced the Blue Gators’ Carter Dooley Friday in the state title game.
Earlier this season in the regular season finale, Central Catholic pounded Dooley for eight runs (six earned) on eight hits. However, Friday in the state title game, Dooley pitched a complete game and surrendered three runs (three earned) on six hits with two walks, two hit batters and fanned three.
“Early on, I kind of sensed we weren’t ourselves,” Jensen said. “We didn’t have the greatest at bats. We’ve seen this guy before. He just shut us down. Later on in the game, we started having some better at bats but it just seemed like we hit it right to them.”
Ascension Episcopal took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. With two outs and the bases loaded via a hit batter and two walks, Central Catholic starter Gregory Leger threw a wild pitch for a 1 - 0 A s c e n s i o n Episcopal. After a second walk, Leger threw another wild pitch that scored a second run.
Leger fanned Eli Mouton to escape any more damage.
Central Catholic cut its deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the second inning when Leger homered to left field.
However, Ascension Episcopal regained its two-run lead in the top of the third when Sean Michael Brady hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield that scored University of Louisiana at Lafayette signee Jeffery Elkins. Elkins led off the inning with a triple to the centerfield wall.
The Eagles tied the game at 3 in the bottom of the third when Mitchell Lemoine connected on a two-out single to right field that scored Adam Dupuis and Drake Angeron. Both had reached base on bunt singles.
Ascension Episcopal took the lead for good when an errant throw in an attempt to pick off a runner at third base with two outs scored a run, and Brennan Lightfoot followed with a run-scoring single for a 5-3 lead.
After another Central Catholic error kept the inning alive, Mouton followed with a single to centerfield that scored a run for a 6-3 lead.
Central Catholic made things interesting in the bottom of the sixth when it loaded the bases with two outs. However, Dooley escaped the jam unharmed.
Ascension Episcopal added its final run in the top of the seventh via a Mouton single to right field. Mouton led Ascension Episcopal with a 2-for-3
performance with a double and two RBIs.
Other top offensive contributors for the Blue Gators included Elkins 1-for-2, a triple, a stolen base and three runs; Lightfoot, 1-for-3, an RBI and a run; and Brady, an RBI and a run.
Leger led Central Catholic with a 2-for-3 performance with a home run, an RBI and a run, while Lemoine was 1-for-4 with two RBIs.
Brooks Thomas, the second of three Central Catholic pitchers, suffered the loss. In 3.2 innings, he surrendered four runs (three earned) on three hits with two walks and fanned six.
Leger started the game, and in one inning, he surrendered two runs (one earned) with four walks and one strikeout.
Thomas Mire finished the game, and in 2.1 innings, he surrendered one run (one earned) on three hits with one walk and fanned three.
Central Catholic will be losing a large senior class, which Jensen called “great guys,” from this year’s team.
“They’ve grown up a lot,” Jensen said. “When they were younger, maybe we didn’t always see eye-to-eye, but those guys every year became more and more mature, and they actually became fantastic leaders. The big knock on them when they were young (was) they were really talented players but they wouldn’t be good leaders, and they weren’t good leaders. They were great leaders, and they’re all going to be a bunch of guys that are going to go on and be successful in life.
"I hurt for them the most," Jensen added. "I hurt for all our guys, but those guys have given so much to our program, done so much for our program, there’s not enough good things I can say. They’ve made me a better coach but probably more important a better man.”

The St. Mary Parish Library System kicks off the summer reading program June 5.
Families will enjoy an ice cream treat while checking out their first batch of books.
The theme this summer is Build a Better World.
A summer lineup of professional entertainment will be provided at all seven branches, beginning the first week with an interactive drumming session by percussionist, Elizabeth “Lady Chops” Vidos.
A talented percussionist, this drummer’s off-broadway work history includes the "STOMP" show and "Jesus Christ Superstar."
Incorporating musical instruments from other countries into her performance, she educates and entertains children of all ages with an engaging performance that includes interactive skills and musical instruments.
Future entertainment for the month of June will include performances by David LeBouef, Hampstead Stage Company, Javier Juarez, Matthew Noel, and Roger Day.
Combining magic, humor, and education, magician David LeBouef has enchanted children of all ages with his delightful magic show.
For the past thirty-four years, Hampstead Stage Company has excelled in providing quality interactive, educational performances to their audiences with memorable productions of popular myths, fairy tales, and plays.
The director of Javier’s Dance Studio, Javier Juarez has been a performer and teacher for over thirty years, actively involved in the educational system for the past 28 years, incorporating a multitude of dancing styles for his audience’s entertainment.
Magician Matthew Noel has kept children humored and engaged with his hilarious act showcasing his magic, juggling, and yo-yo skills for over ten years.
Award-winning children’s musician Roger Day ensures his performances are filled with loud songs, high jumps, and big dreams. His witty, whimsical wordplay has entertained and educated children to expressive heights.
A printed calendar of all scheduled performance event dates and times is available Alex P. Allain Memorial Library in Franklin and the remaining library branches.
A complete, online calendar can also be found on the St. Mary Parish Library website at www.stmarylibrary.org. All of the St. Mary Parish Library System’s summer performances are free of charge and open to the public and all ages.

Teche Regional Medical Center recently announced that Christel Hicks has been recognized as the hospital’s 2017 Mercy Award winner. The Mercy Award recognizes one employee from each of LifePoint Health’s hospitals who profoundly touches the lives of others and best repre-sents the spirit and values on which the company was founded.
The Mercy Award is an annual recognition program established in 2002 to honor the life of Scott Mercy, Life-Point’s founding chairman and chief executive officer. The award is considered the highest honor a LifePoint employee can receive.
“At Teche Regional Medical Center, we share LifePoint’s commitment to Making Communities Healthier, and we recognize this is supported by the good work and service of our employees on and off the job,” said Butch Frazier, CEO of Teche Regional Medical Center. “We are extremely proud to recognize Christel for her efforts on behalf of our patients and our community. She goes above and beyond each and every day to ensure that every person she encounters receives the highest level of care and compassion.”
Christel has been employed at Teche Regional Medical Center for 21 years. She started as a Respiratory Therapist and is now the Director of Informatics.
“Christel is always positive, compassionate and respectful of everyone she works with. She consistently goes above and beyond to help our physicians each day. She is relentless in her pursuit of making our clinical systems work as efficiently as possible,” said Dianne Teal, chief nursing officer.
Christel’s dedication and commitment to her family, friends and community are also worthy of recognition. She is very active in her community church and schools. She and her family routinely participate in fundraisers for St. Jude and the American Cancer Society Relay for Life.
“Christel is respected by all who know her at Teche Regional and is positive, respectful and always models exemplary behavior,” Frazier said.