SMC 10s advance to championship in tourney

The St. Mary Central 10-year-old All-Stars beat West Monroe North 2-1 Tuesday to advance to the championship game today of the AAA Minor South Regional at Wally Pontiff Jr. Playground in Metairie.
St. Mary Central took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Owen Thorguson singled driving in Luke Zerangue, who had singled.
West Monroe North tied the score at 1-1 in the fourth inning. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Clay Menard led off the inning with a single. Tanner Simmons followed up with a single. Ross Thomas laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. Menard scored the winning run on a groundball to shortstop by Carter Williams.
On the mound, Thomas pitched three innings without giving up a hit. Thomas did not allow any runs, walked one, and struck out three batters. Williams came on in relief to get the win pitching three innings giving up one run on four hits while striking out three batters.
At the plate, Thorguson was 2-for-2 with two doubles. Menard, who went 1-for-3 with a single. Tanner Simmons was 1-for-3 with a single. Zerangue went 1-for-2 with a single. Jude Vasquez was 1-for-2 with a double.
“It was a great team effort,” St. Mary Central Coach John Menard said. Both pitchers did an excellent job, he said. “We hit the ball early in the game,” Menard said. “We just hit it right at people. In the last inning, they just found a way to get it done.”
The team’s win Tuesday night created a three-way tie due to three teams with one loss, Menard said. St. Mary Central drew for a bye to the championship game and got it, he said.
On Monday, St. Mary Central lost to West Monroe North 11-7, and then beat Minden 8-0.
St. Mary Central plays the winner of the Ville Platte-West Monroe North game today. “No matter who we play, it’s going to be a tough game,” Menard said.