Kaplan knocks off Crowley in playoffs

KAPLAN — The Kaplan Pirates advanced to the second round of the Class 3A baseball playoffs on Tuesday after 10-run ruling Crowley 12-2.
The No. 14 Pirates will be on-road on Friday to play No. 3 Lutcher in the best two-out-of-three series. The first game of the series is Friday at 6 p.m. The second game will be Saturday at 11 a.m., and if a third game is needed, it will be Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
This is the third year in a row the Pirates have reached the second round of the Class 3A playoffs.
On Tuesday, the Pirates never trailed and led 3-0 after the first inning.
Ahead 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning, Kaplan blew the game open thanks to a clutch hit with two outs.
Caden Campisi was looking to break the game open with the bases loaded and the count at three balls and two strikes.
Campisi, who did not have a hit in two previous at-bats, plated three runs with a stand-up double.
Campisi said he was not nervous at the plate.
“This is what everyone dreams of, especially in high school,” Campisi said about being in a pressure situation. “I thought, man, this is where it is at. The count was 3-2, and I was looking for a strike anywhere. The pitch was down the middle, and I took it deep.”
The three runs gave the Pirates a 6-1 lead with three innings to play.
“That hit sparked the team,” he added.
The Pirates added one insurance run in the sixth inning and five in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Karter Meaux singled to lead off the sixth inning, and Eli Simon came into the game as a pinch-runner for Meaux.
Simon scored from third base on an infield error.
In the seventh inning, Jude Bertrand had a two-RBI triple, and then Brett Guidry scored him with a single that ended the game.
The Pirates had 11 hits.
Jude Bertrand, Brett Guidry, Karter Meaux and Grant Campbell combined to get eight of Kaplan’s 11 hits, and they knocked in 10 of Kaplan’s 11 runs.
Meaux pitched five of the six innings for the win. He struck out six and allowed only one hit.
Hayes Mire pitched the final inning for KHS.
This was the second time the Pirates beat Crowley, a district opponent.
“I thought we were ready and had what it took to win,” said Kaplan head coach Tyler Domingue. “We were playing at home with a big crowd. We had our ace on the mound, and our hitting has been good. I thought we had a good chance.”
He was right.