Errors help Oak Grove walk off in semifinal win over DeQuincy
Published 11:18 pm Tuesday, May 7, 2024
DeQuincy's Rahley Royer scores in the second inning on Tuesday at McMurry Park in Sulphur. DeQuincy lost to Oak Grove 6-5. (Rodrick Anderson / American Press)
DeQuincy's Carson Rainwater throws a pitch during the Tigers' nonselect Division IV semifinal against Oak Grove on Tuesday at McMurry Park in Sulphur. (Rodrick Anderson / American Press)
DeQuincy's Tyler Rodriquez scores the tying run in the top of the seventh on Tuesday at McMurry Park in Sulphur in the nonselect Division IV semifinal. Oak Grove won 6-5.
DeQuincy's Rahley Royer hits a two-run double in the second inning of a nonselect Division IV semifinal game against Oak Grove on Tuesday at McMurry Park in Sulphur. (Rodrick Anderson / American Press)
DeQuincy shortstop Quentin Pharris applies the tag after Oak Grove's Spencer Foster slid past second base in the second inning at McMurry Park in Sulphur. Oak Grove beat DeQuincy 6-5. (Rodrick Anderson / American Press)
SULPHUR — DeQuincy and Oak Grove’s second meeting Tuesday at the Louisiana High School Athletic Association state baseball tournament had all the makings of a repeat of last year’s nonselect Division IV state championship game.
DeQuincy (19-10) rallied from two deficits and looked as if it would force extra innings, but Oak Grove (18-11) scored the winning run on an error in the bottom of the seventh inning to win 6-5.
“They just don’t give up,” head coach Brady Carlson said of his Tigers. “They are going to fight to the end. That is who they are, and that is who they have been all year. They have been underdogs all year, but they have a lot of fight in them.
“It was a great season. I think a lot of people didn’t expect us to be here, but we did. It was a great season. We started off a little sluggish but we really came on strong in the end. I am very excited about our future. We only have two seniors.”
In the final last year, DeQuincy battled from nine runs down only to lose to Oak Grove 11-10 in 12 innings.
Down 5-4 in the top of the seventh inning, Tyler Rodriquez reached base on a one-out error and scored the tying run on a passed ball with two outs. The Tigers loaded the bases for a second time but left the go-ahead run stranded after Tanner Duff recorded his lone strikeout.
“They are a good team,” Carlson said of Oak Grove. “They made a few boo-boos, we made a few boo-boos and a couple of plays at the end cost us, but we had some chances early.
“We had the bases loaded with nobody out and we didn’t get a run and get some separation. We gave up a couple of unearned runs in the middle innings. Everyone is going to remember the last few plays, but there were a few plays in the middle that would have helped us out as well.”
In the bottom of the seventh, Brodie Duff, running for Remi Water who reached on a leadoff single, scored the winning run. Spencer Foster put down what should have been a sacrifice to move Duff over, but the Tigers committed two errors and allowed Duff to score from first base.
Oak Grove scored two runs in the first on four hits, but DeQuincy stormed back on two two-run doubles to left field by Rahley Royer and Carson Rainwater in the top of the second inning.
