New Orleans secured its position in the 16-team AAABA field for this week’s 64th annual event on Saturday afternoon at Point Stadium.
The Louisiana squad pounded out 10 hits, including six for extra bases, in a 6 1/2-inning, 11-0 drubbing of Chicago Metro, a game shortened by the mercy rule. New Orleans won the best-of-3 regional 2-0.
“I’m very pleased,” New Orleans manager Brady Benoit said. “Obviously our hitters got a little more comfortable. We want to get our pitch earlier in the count. We got a lot better swings and a lot better at-bats and played solid defense. A good all-around performance.”
New Orleans got another strong pitching performance Saturday from right-hander Joseph Zimmerman just as it had on Friday night with Andrew Velez on the mound.
Zimmerman gave up just one hit in five innings of work with six strikeouts and a walk before giving way to reliever Brian Arceneaux in the sixth.
The New Orleans offense got off to another strong start as Cass Hargis led off with a triple to center field and came home on a sacrifice fly by Michael Liberto for a 1-0 NORD advantage.
In the third, New Orleans sent 10 to the plate, chasing Chicago starter Matt Moore.
Chris Wauguespack started the onslaught with a triple to right. Kyle Olasin’s bunt single down the third-base line scored Wauguespack.
Doubles by Hargis, Liberto and Laurent along with walks to Max Ledet and Jordan Poirrier, coupled with a Chicago error, scored five more New Orleans runs for a 6-0 advantage.
Another Chicago error, a hit batsman and a fielder’s choice scored two more runs to extend the New Orleans lead to 8-0 before the third inning ended.
“Putting it away early gets us more comfortable,” Benoit said. “A dangerous thing is when a team has its back against the wall the way Chicago did. We felt if we could come out and jump on top early, it would dampen their spirits and build ours. We certainly didn’t want to play a third game.”
New Orleans plated three more runs in the sixth, as Olasin led off with a walk by reliever Rick Foytik. Laurent’s single moved Olasin to second and Ledet cleared the bases with a towering shot over the left center field fence.
“It felt good when I hit the ball,” Ledet said. “It was a fast ball in. I knew it was gone pretty much as soon as I hit it.”
Hargis, Liberto and Laurent were all 2-for-3. Catcher Joe Carbone had Chicago’s lone hit.
“I thought we were in the mindset the night before, it was apparent that we just didn’t look ready to play on Friday and it carried over,” Chicago manager Andy Sherwood said. “They came out and started swinging. That’s what a good team does, they got on us early and put us away.”
New Orleans must now wait until Sunday night at the pairings banquet to find out its opponent and game site on Monday’s schedule while Chicago makes the long drive home.
“I just want to thank everybody; Johnstown put down a great regional to help us out,” Sherwood said. “It was a very class act. We wish we could have enjoyed a little more of the experience that we heard so much about.”
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