University High’s Brody Mayeaux was unaware of Thursday’s forecast for rain until he arrived for his pitching assignment in the opening game of a Division III state select quarterfinal series.
Not only was Mayeaux opposing Calvary Baptist’s Landon Fontenot, a Louisiana Tech signee, but the sophomore would have to deal with intermittent showers for three innings.
Mayeaux fared better in the adverse conditions and No. 3 University High backed him with 10 hits and some superlative defensive plays for a 6-1 victory over No. 6 Calvary Baptist at UHS’s Vick Field.
The teams played in a second game late Thursday. A third game, if necessary, is scheduled for 4 p.m. Friday.
“I had to put the rain aside and not let it bother me,” Mayeaux said. “If you think about the rain, then you’re not focused on throwing strikes and doing what you have to do to win the game.”
Calvary Baptist (25-12) scored its lone run in the first inning on Hutch Grace’s run-scoring single to right-center field.
Mayeaux avoided further trouble with a fly ball to Slade Jindal in right and catcher Jaxon Simoneaux threw to second baseman Lane Mixon to tag out Grace trying to steal to end the inning.
University (25-8) had its first two batters reach with Jake McCann drawing a walk and John Maciask getting hit by a pitch. Camden Sunstrom sacrificed both runners up a base and Ethan Hopkins’ single to center made it 2-1 following a throwing error.
Cole Conner’s hot smash to the backhand side of second baseman Jayce Coile resulted in another run and Conner eventually scored on a passed ball.
The Cubs added runs in the third on Mixon’s double and another in the fifth on Jindal’s single.
“I was really proud of our guys for responding,” U-High coach Justin Morgan said. “That was a guy (Fontenot) that held us to one run earlier in the season. He’s a really good arm. I thought that set the tone for us.”
Mayeaux (4-2) stranded the bases loaded in the second and kept Calvary scoreless over his last three innings. He allowed two hits, walked two and struck out three and fellow sophomore, Grant Sunstrom, delivered three innings of scoreless relief.
Conner turned in a terrific catch in center, having to break on a ball that was caught in a crosswind, for the second out of the third and Mayeaux followed with an inning-ending strikeout.
The Cavaliers had two runners on with an out when Funderburk sent a grounder near second base where Mixon flipped to McCann at shortstop who finished the double play to end the fourth.
“Whenever I threw strikes and let the defense work, good things happened,” Mayeaux said. “We had an amazing defense out there and this team’s amazing in the field. I trust my defense.”