SULPHUR – Welsh senior Dane Iguess battled through illness on Tuesday in the Non-select Division IV semifinals, but he stayed in the game and got a walk-off hit to send the Greyhounds to the state championship game at the LHSAA state baseball tournament at McMurry Park.

With one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, Iguess hit a line drive to center field to bring home Grant Haydel, and the No. 2 Greyhounds (23-10) defeated No. 3 DeQuincy (24-12) 7-6.

Iguess started the mound and pitched six innings before being relieved. He had to be checked out more than once. He finished with three strikeouts and two walks and allowed three earned runs on seven hits.

“People that were here saw him throwing up his stuff, and he battled through it,” Welsh head coach Caleb Hayes said. “I think adrenaline, just the moment, and he battled through it.

“He could hardly walk after the game. He’s just the ultimate competitor. Just so proud of him and the team for the fight tonight.”

Iguess came up big in the seventh inning as well. The Greyhounds were down 5-4 with one out when Iguess singled. He moved to second on Casey Cormier’s sacrifice bunt, stole third and scored the tying run on Brecken Haydel’s hit to right field.

“I mean, it’s never over,” Hayes said. “I feel like when they took the lead in the seventh, we were kind of hanging our heads. But we got six seniors that kind of took the fight and said, it’s not over.”

Welsh sophomore Cohen Fontenot’s single tied the game at 6-6 with no outs.

Welsh will play four-time defending state champion No. 1 Oak Grove in the finals at 2 p.m. today. It is the Greyhounds’ first final since falling to Loreauville 12-5 in 2018.

“We’re playing the juggernauts, Oak Grove, who are looking to win their fifth straight,” Hayes said. “It’s going to be another freaking battle. We’re going to go to war and see what happens.”

Welsh looked in control after scoring twice in the fifth inning on a walk and an error to take a 4-1 lead, but Grand Lake rallied twice to take a one-run lead. Andrew Dowden hit a two-run double for a 5-4 lead with two outs in the top of the seventh inning. Dowden went 2 for 4 with two doubles and three RBI.

DeQuincy out hit Welsh 11-7, but committed three errors and gave the Greyhounds six extra base runners on walks.

Carson Rainwater started on the mound for the Tigers and pitched 6 2/3 innings before being relieved by Grant Rainwater, who ended up taking the loss, with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning. Rainwater struck out six batters and walked four.

DHS     000 012 21 – 6-11-3

WHS    020 020 12 – 7-7-2

PITCHING: W – Cohen Cormier (2ip, 4h, 3er, 0k, 2bb). L – Grant Rainwater (.1ip, 0h, 2er, 0k, 2bb).

TOP HITTERS: DeQuincy – Noah Pettifield 2-4 (2 runs), Andrew Dowden 2-4 (3 RBI, 2 doubles). Welsh – Dane Iguess 2-5 (run, RBI), Brecken Haydel 1-3 (2 RBI).

RECORDS: DeQuincy – 24-12. Welsh – 23-10.

 

Baseball

State tournament

At McMurry Park in Sulphur

Championship

Best-of-3 series

Non-select

Division I

No. 1 Live Oak (32-6) vs. No. 11 Sam Houston (35-7), Thursday 5:30 p.m., Friday 5:30 p.m., Saturday 5:30 p.m. (if necessary)

Division II

No. 1 Brusly (35-5) vs. No. 2 North DeSoto (27-13), 2 p.m. Thursday, 2 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday (if necessary)

Division III

No. 1 Sterlington (33-8) vs. No. 2 Erath (25-11), 11 a.m. Thursday, 11 a.m. Friday, 11 a.m. Saturday (if necessary)

Select

Division I

No. 1 Catholic-Baton Rouge (35-5) vs No. 3 Brother Martin (31-7), 5:30 p.m. Thursday, 5:30 p.m. Friday, 5:30 p.m. Saturday (if necessary)

Division II

No. 1 Teurlings Catholic (32-4) vs. No. 7 E.D. White (23-18), 2 p.m. Thursday, 2 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday (if necessary)

Division III

No. 2 University Lab (27-9) vs. No. 4 Catholic-New Iberia (24-11), 11 a.m. Thursday, 11 a.m. Friday, 11 a.m. Saturday (if necessary)

 

Single elimination

Semifinals

Non-select Division IV

No. 1 Oak Grove 4, No. 4 Mangham 2

No. 2 Welsh 7, No. 3 DeQuincy 6, 8 inns.

Select Division IV

No. 12 Ouachita Christian 12, No. 1 Covenant Christian 7

No. 2 Vermilion Catholic 9, No. 11 Riverside Academy 8

Class B

No. 1 Pitkin 4, No. 4 Hicks 1

No. 3 Family Community 6, No. 2 Weston 2

Class C

No. 4 Ebarb 18, No. 1 Family Christian 8, 6 inns.

No. 2 Harrisonburg 15, No. 3 Maurepas 10

Finals

Non-select Division IV, No. 1 Oak Grove (17-12) vs. No. 2 Welsh (23-10), 2 p.m. Wednesday

Select Division IV, No. 2 Vermilion Catholic (24-7) vs. No. 12 Ouachita Christian (18-15), 2 p.m. Wednesday

Class B, No. 1 Pitkin (22-7) vs. No. 3 Family Community (23-12), 11 a.m. Wednesday

Class C, No. 2 Harrisonburg (18-2) vs. No. 4 Ebarb (15-10), 11 a.m. Wednesday