SULPHUR — The District 3-5A baseball race is muddled again, which is good news in Lake Charles and Moss Bluff, but not so much in Sulphur.

The previously undefeated Tors lost their second game in as many days Saturday, as resurgent Sam Houston won 4-2.

The result left Barbe, an 8-2 winner over Comeaux, in sole possession of first place with a 5-1 district record. Sulphur is a game back at 4-2 and Sam Houston is back in the mix at 3-3. The Broncos (19-7) dropped their first three district games before reeling off consecutive wins over Lafayette, Carencro and Sulphur.

Broncos starter Collin Kober held the Tors hitless through five innings in a complete-game win and Eric Peterson provided most of the offense with a two-out, three-run home run in the top of the sixth inning.

The Tors (19-8) put together six hits to score a pair of runs over the final two innings, but Kober iced the game by forcing a pop-out and ground ball in the bottom of the seventh with the tying runs on base.

“Innings one through five, (Kober) kept the ball down at the knees, his slider stayed down at the knees and he had such command of the bottom of the strike zone,” said Broncos head coach Brad Book.

“In the sixth and seventh innings, I don’t think he was losing command or getting tired, I think he just had some adrenalin in his system and started leaving the ball up.”

Book said his team is showing more confidence and aggression following a midseason slump that resulted in a host of errors.

“Defensively we played outstanding today, we made routine plays we had not been making,” he said. “Our kids looked so much more comfortable defensively today than we have in the last 8-10 games.

“Kober pitched another great game. Against Lafayette, our first district win, we started playing better defensively, started making plays. I felt like we were apprehensive during that stretch where we had some losses. Now, our kids look confident, look like they want the ball hit to them so they can make the play.”

Tors head coach Jason Trahan said his team is being too hesitant at the plate.

“Our last two innings we swung the bat well, but for five innings we were passive at the plate,” Trahan said. “The bottom line is you have to score runs to win. We did a terrible job for five innings. Kober did an excellent job, but we were not taking good swings. We were pulling off the ball and not taking a good approach trying to go opposite field with the offspeed stuff. We’re looking at too many strikes. That’s what got us in trouble.”

Tors starter Kale Breaux was dominant, giving up three hits and a run in five innings of work while striking out five, but was pulled after pitching in relief in extra-inning games Tuesday and Friday.

Kameron Esthay had an RBI double to drive in Sam Houston’s first run in the fifth inning. Brooks Morse and Caleb Murrell drove in runs for Sulphur.

(MGNonline)