Delta Charter snaps 3-game losing streak with shutout win over Sicily Island

Published 12:28 pm Friday, March 18, 2022

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FERRIDAY — Delta Charter School’s varsity baseball team showed no mercy on nearby rival Sicily Island High School as the Storm rolled to a 25-0 win over the Tigers last Thursday afternoon to end a three-game losing streak.

Even though Delta Charter and Sicily Island are LHSAA District 2-1A opponents in several other sports, that is not the case this year in baseball, Storm head coach Nicholas Kennedy said.

“Next year they’ll be in our district,” Kennedy said. “This year we have St. Frederick, Oak Grove, Delhi, Cedar Creek, OCS (Ouachita Christian School), and River Oaks.”

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Preston Higgins was the winning pitcher for Delta Charter as he pitched three scoreless and hitless innings. He struck out seven batters and walked only two batters. Jadyn Jones pitched two innings of relief and gave up Sicily Island’s only base hit of the game to go with one strikeout and one walk.

The defense behind Higgins and Jones was outstanding as the Storm did not commit a single error.

“Before the game, I challenged them to play a clean game, error-free baseball. And they did,” Kennedy said. “We’re hitting the ball well. The least amount of hits we’ve had in a game is like eight or nine hits. We’re taking good approaches at the plate. But we’ve had problems making routine plays. That’s what has hurt us.”

The Storm took command of this game with a 10-run barrage in the bottom of the first inning. The would add four runs in the bottom of the second inning off losing pitcher Layton Bass, who lasted just two innings on the mound.

Bass allowed 14 runs, only four of them earned, on 10 hits with one strikeout and one walk. Sicily Island pitching gave up a total of 17 base hits and the Tigers’ defense helped the Storm by committing 10 errors.

Delta Charter had another double-digit scoring frame in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring 11 runs to make it a 25-0 game. 

Higgins helped his own cause by going 2-for-4 with a double and a home run while Jones was 2-for-2. Ethan Keith went 3-for-4 with a double while Payten Robert was 3-for-5 with a double and Davis Cooper was 2-for-5 with a double.

“I put some guys in positions that they normally don’t play. We had good pitching. It was an all-around good game,” Kennedy said.

Delta Charter (3-7) takes a short trip to Jonesville, La. to take on the Block High School Bears on Monday, March 21 at 5 p.m.