Seven-run third inning helps Avoyelles Charter beat Delta Charter

Published 11:50 am Wednesday, March 2, 2022

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FERRIDAY — Avoyelles Public Charter School scored seven runs in the top of the third inning and that proved to be the difference as the Vikings held on for a 19-13 win over the Delta Charter School Storm last Tuesday night.

Winning pitcher Tanner Dupuy was also a force at the plate for Avoyelles Charter as went 3-for-5 with a double and one run batted in. Luke Pontheir was 2-for-5 with a double and five RBIs while Mason Bordelon was 1-for-4 with a double.

Avoyelles Charter led Delta Charter 2-1 after one inning of play and it remained that was until the Vikings put some distance between themselves and the Storm with their scoring barrage in the top of the third.

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“That third inning hurt us. We gave them three errors. We gave them six outs,” Storm head coach Nic Kennedy said. “Baseball’s hard enough getting three outs. We’ve got to cut down the errors.”

The Storm only managed to score one run in the bottom of the third inning and trailed 9-2. After a scoreless fourth inning, it appeared that the Vikings were on their way to run-ruling the Storm after plating four runs in the top of the fifth inning to go ahead 13-2.

However, Delta Charter would not let that happen is it scored four runs of its own in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 13-6 game. Again, Avoyelles Charter had another opportunity to end the game in the sixth inning after the Vikings scored four runs in the top frame to take a 17-6 lead. But once again, the Storm did just enough to extend the game with two runs in the bottom frame to trail 17-8.

“At one point, we were down double digits, but we continued to cut into it. We kept bouncing back,” Kennedy said. “I’m extremely proud of the fight they showed after getting down double digits. But that one inning was too much for us and we could never come (all the way) back.”

Avoyelles Charter scored two runs in the top of the seventh for a 19-8 lead. Delta Charter attempted one last rally, but the five runs the Storm scored in the bottom of the seventh was not enough.

Peyton Roberts led the Storm at the plate by going 4-for-4 with two doubles and five RBIs. Lawson Reyes was 1-for-2 with a double and two RBIs. Colby Hodges, Chase McGraw and Tyrin Singleton each had a double and one RBI.

“We never gave up. We’re continuing to get experienced,” Kennedy said.

Delta Charter (1-3) next plays at the Harrisonburg Tournament. They took on LaSalle High School at 6:30 p.m. Thursday and then they go up against Forest High School at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.