Crowley escapes MCHS upset bid, 8-7, in 9 innings

Crowley High School stayed alive with a rally in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings and avoided Morgan City’s upset bid by scoring a run in the ninth for an 8-7 victory in Class 4A first-round action at Miller Field Tuesday.
While Morgan City, the No. 22 seed, had broken a 5-all tie in the top of the seventh via Abram Hartley’s two-run double to left field, Crowley, the No. 11 seed, tied the score in the bottom of the seventh.
Morgan City relief pitcher Philip Hutchinson, who came on to begin the inning, hit Bubba Daigle with the bases loaded, scoring a run, while the next batter, Andre Larry, tied the score at 7 via a fielder’s choice to second base.
Hutchinson got out of the one-out, bases-loaded jam with no more damage, however, via a strikeout and a groundout.
In the top of the ninth, Morgan City (13-16) got a one-out double by Logan Gros to right field, and Hartley followed with a single to right field for runners on first and third with one out.
However, Crowley pitcher Blayne Sonnier struck out Hutchinson. Sonnier then fielded a bunt attempt by Malik Phillips and threw home to get Gros out to end the inning.
Crowley (18-8) got the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. Pate Broussard started the inning with a double to left field, while Alex Ashby followed with a single to right field that put runners on second and third with no outs.
Morgan City intentionally walked the next batter, Daigle, loading the bases with no outs.
The next batter, Larry, then reached on a fielder’s choice to second base that scored the winning run.
Sonnier earned the win in relief. In four innings, he surrendered two runs — both earned — on four hits with two walks, one hit batter and three strikeouts.
Hutchinson suffered the loss in relief of the Tigers starter, Rhett Fryou. In two innings, Hutchinson surrendered three earned runs on two hits with three walks, one hit batter and one strikeout.
Early on, Morgan City scored a run in the top of the first inning via a Morrquise Charles infield single. The Tigers added another run in the inning on a fielder’s choice by Fryou.
Crowley tied the score at two in the bottom of the first via an RBI-ground out by Broussard to third base, while another run scored via an error by Hartley.
The score remained the same until the top of the third when Morgan City scored two runs via a Fryou single to right field and a sacrifice fly by Gros.
Crowley cut its deficit to 4-3 in the bottom of the third on a single by Daigle, but Morgan City got the run back in the top of the fourth on a run-scoring triple to right field by Charles.
Crowley tied the score at 5 in the bottom of the sixth when two runs scored on an error by Phillips.
Daigle led Crowley with a 3-for-3 performance with two RBIs and a run. Other top offensive contributors included Jon Riley Mouton, 2-for-4, a triple and three runs; Larry, 2-for-5, two RBIs and a stolen base; Ashby, 2-for-5, a double and a run; and Broussard, 1-for-4, a double, an RBI and two runs.
Hartley led Morgan City with a 3-for-5 performance with a double, two RBIs and a stolen base. Other top offensive contributors included Charles, 2-for-4, a triple, two RBIs and a run; Gros, 1-for-2, a double and an RBI; Fryou, 1-for-3, two RBIs; and Phillips, 1-for-6, a triple and a run.
In all, Morgan City left 12 runners on base and committed four errors.
Fryou started for Morgan City. In six innings, he surrendered five runs — two earned — on nine hits with two strikeouts.
Broussard started for Crowley. In five innings, he surrendered five runs — three earned — on five hits with four walks, one hit batter and four strikeouts.
Crowley will continue postseason play Friday when it begins a best, two-out-of-three series at No. 6 Benton in the regional round of the playoffs.