Destrehan edges St. Amant

• By ROBIN FAMBROUGH
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Mar 26, 2008 - UPDATED: 7:18 a.m.

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ST. AMANT — Any time St. Amant High School right-hander William Delatte allows three hits and one earned run, the Gators figure to have an advantage.

Thanks to a four-hitter by left-hander Josh Rochelle, Destrehan had the edge and claimed a 2-1 victory in a District 6-5A game Tuesday at St. Amant.

Logan Gares’ solo home run in the fourth inning provided the winning margin for the Wildcats (13-8, 1-1).

“He (Delatte) pitched well and it was a well-played game,” St. Amant coach Bob Lemons said. “Give their pitcher (Rochelle) credit for what he did and give Destrehan credit for what they did as a team.

“We pitched and played well. What we didn’t do was have the big hit. But again, credit Destrehan for that.”

Rochelle (4-0) struck out five and walked two. The junior did not allow a hit until the fifth and retired the Gators in order in four of the seven innings.

Delatte, an LSU signee, yielded three hits and struck out eight in 52/3 innings. No hitter for either team had more than one hit.

“When he (Rochelle) is on, he can be very good and he was today,” Destrehan coach Marty Luquette said. “He just kept them off balance all day. His change-up worked well. He placed his fastball well.

“We knew it would be tough. We knew he (Delatte) is one of the best in the state. We were able to scratch out a run without a hit and then got the home run. It was enough.”

Destrehan loaded the bases in the top of the third and punched a pivotal run across without getting a hit.

An error, a walk and fielder’s choice loaded the bases. The Wildcats’ Andrew Suffrin scored from third when Sam Carriere hit into a double play.

The game’s first hit allowed Destrehan to increase its lead. Gares led off the top of the fourth, knocking Delatte’s first pitch over the fence in left center, making it a 2-0 game.

Three two-out hits got the Gators back in contention in the fifth. Dillon Morin’s single was the first hit of the game for St. Amant. Pinch-hitter Lee Nassar then singled to left and both runners moved up one base on an error.