Heartbreak in Sulphur

SULPHUR - The quest for a threepeat met its end.

After a nearly two-hour weather delay, a late inning push from Anacoco, and extra-inning tension, the Indians prevailed 4-3 in the LHSAA Division V non-select state semifinal Tuesday, advancing to Friday’s state championship.

Anacoco took its first lead of the game with two outs in the top of the ninth after TJ Smith tried to double up the Indians at second but made a throwing error to the outfield.

Choudrant’s do-or-die at bats in the bottom of the ninth started with Michael Jones’ leadoff single, but the junior made a base-running mistake as he tried to take third with one out but was thrown out at third. Colton Smith grounded out to Anacoco pitcher Chase Taylor to end the ballgame.

“Michael made that mistake there at the end, but it’s not his fault,” Choudrant head coach Joel Antley said postgame. We had bases loaded three times and didn’t score a run and didn’t score a run from the break on.”

The Aggies finish the season with a 28-5 overall record.  Despite the loss, it's still the first time in school history Choudrant has played in the state tournament in three-straight seasons.

The contest stood at 3-3 heading into extras after the Indians tied the ballgame up in the sixth inning on a pair of RBI singles, while Choudrant couldn’t capitalize on multiple chances to blow the game open in between.

Through the nine innings of play, the Aggies left 13 runners on base, including leaving the bases loaded three times. The missed chances were intensified after Choudrant left a runner on third in the seventh and the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth – both prime chances to walk it off.

Meanwhile, Anacoco starter Reid Rodriguez went 6.1 innings with 5 Ks and 3 ER but was taken out at 111 pitches with the LHSAA limit at 115 and limited Choudrant’s offense after the second inning.

After Choudrant took a 3-0 lead through two innings, a lightning delay mixed with a downpour of sideways rain sent the teams to their dugouts and fans in a sprint to their cars.

Play was delayed for close to two hours from the first stoppage at 11:45 a.m.

And it came just as Choudrant’s offense finally came to life in the postseason.

With nine total hits and three runs in their first two playoff wins, the Aggies led 3-0 through two innings Tuesday on four hits and two sacrifice flies.

Anacoco ran into trouble early and the Aggies took advantage, with the Indians committing an error on leadoff hitter Landon Hennen. Shortly after, Bryce McGuire and Gavin Murphy reached base safely on back-to-back singles to load the bases with no outs for Kaden Bradshaw.

The senior got the scoring started on a sacrifice fly to score Hennen, followed up thanks to TJ Smith 2-out RBI single to put the Aggies ahead 2-0 after the first.

Eli Callender got the leadoff man on for Choudrant in the second inning as well, this time on a single to right field to set the Aggies up to score again. It was Landon Hennen’s turn this time, as the senior hit a sac fly to right field to bring Callender in from third to make it a 3-0 lead.

The Aggies would not put another run across.

On the mound, Choudrant senior Bryce McGuire was in a groove in his five innings of work, striking out 3 batters, allowing 5 hits and 0 runs on 66 pitches before Hennen came on in relief.

But that’s just what the Indians needed.

The Indians were ready for the change and got back in the game on a 2-RBI single off the bat of Dustin Shelton in the sixth. Two batters later, Caleb Taylor tied the ballgame at 3-3 on an RBI single to center. Hennen had 6 ER in 51 innings pitched on the season before Tuesday.

“Fifteen losses in three years,” Antley said talking about the departing senior class of McGuire, Hennen, Gavin Murphy and Kaden Bradshaw. “Yeah, we wanted to send these dudes out on top, but Anacoco played a really good game. We just missed too many opportunities. Just didn’t come together for us today.”

The third, fourth, and fifth also saw opportunities for both squads, but neither side could punch a run across.

Choudrant had the bases loaded with no outs in the third, but a double play and line out took away the threat. As for the Indians, they had two runners on base for the first time in the fourth but could not bring in a run home.

Anacoco continued to shoot itself in the foot with base running mistakes, even with runners on first and third with one out in the fifth. But after Landon Goodwin squared to bunt, Anacoco’s runner at third took too hard of a lead and Murphy threw to Callender at third and tagged out the runner.

The Aggies had the bases loaded for the second time in as many innings in the fifth but after an interference call on Bradshaw and a strikeout, the score remained 3-0.

McGuire went 13 innings, gave up 1 ER, and struck out 14 batters in his final postseason run for the Aggies.

No. 5 Anacoco will play No. 3 Pitkin in the Division V nonselect state championship Friday at 11 a.m.