By Jacob McCoy
The DeQuincy Tigers are heading back to the State Tournament in Sulphur after defeating the Lakeside Warriors last Thursday 4-0!
The game was moved to Westlake due to heavy rainfall swamping Earl Treadway Memorial Field in DeQuincy. The folks at Westlake High School were generous enough to let the Tigers play on their artificial turf field.
The Tigers struck first when Carson Rainwater scored for third on a passed ball to put DeQuincy up 1-0. It remained that way until the bottom of the 6th when Lakeside walked three Tigers to load the bases. A pitching change was made by the Warriors but that did not stop Nolan Schrader from smacking one into deep left center field to the wall to score 2 more runs while getting a stand up double out of it. After that, Lakeside intentionally walked Quentin Pharris to load the bases again in attempt to force a squeeze play but that didn’t turn out in the Warriors’ favor as two batters later Hayz Hext got a free base on ball 4 which walked in another run to make it 4-0 DeQuincy. The Warriors would get the 3rd out to end the inning and try to tie things up in top of the 7th. Carson Rainwater had other plans as he shut the door on Lakeside on a breaking ball called strike three to end Lakeside’s season and the Tigers’ celebration began!
Rainwater was stout on the mound pitching all 7 innings only giving up 3 hits and recorded 4 strikeouts.
Rainwater went 1-2, Turner Rodriguez went 2-3, Nolan Schrader went 1-3 with 2 RBIs, and Hayz Hext went 0-1 but scored an RBI.
DeQuincy will play Oak Grove in the Division 4 Non Select Semifinals Tuesday, May 7, at 2 p.m. at McMurry Park Field 41.
DeQuincy and Oak Grove met last year in the state championship with Oak Grove winning 11-10 in 12 innings. DeQuincy will no doubt be looking for revenge.
If the Tigers win on Tuesday then they will play for the state championship against the winner of Mangham and French Settlement which would be on Friday at 2 p.m. at McMurry Park Field 40.
