By By Jeff Byrd / staff writer
Aug. 6, 2002
This time, El Dorado, Ark., didn't need any last at bat heroics to win a game here in the Babe Ruth 14-year-old Southwest Regional.
Instead of the bats, El Dorado got a one-hit, shut-out from Mason McCurdy to eliminate pre-tournament favorite Jefferson Parish Recreation Department East 5-0 on Monday afternoon here at MCC's Scaggs Field.
El Dorado, winners of three straight since an opening 7-2 loss to JPRD East, will face Tri-County, Texas today at 3 p.m. At stake will be a berth in the finals against Meridian which rallied in the bottom of the seventh to beat Tri-County 5-4.
McCurdy was dominating allowing just six JPRD base runners, one who got on by an error, the other four by walks. Only one Louisiana runner reached third and that came after the lone hit, a double by Ryan Duboc in the fourth.
El Dorado manager Rod Mills was elated with McCurdy and his team's effort to reach Tuesday's end game.
JPRD manager Tommy Moran said his team just couldn't generate enough offense.
El Dorado got the only run they would need in the first inning when Matt Alexander singled and then scored off a hit by Pitard.
In the fourth, Duboc hit his double for JPRD but was left at third after McCurdy got Marc Peltier to pop out to short.
El Dorado got another run in the bottom half of the fourth when Pete Mills scored on a hit by Cannon Lester.
They added two more runs in the fifth to go up 4-0. Alexander walked and then came home on a RBI hit by Jake Carter. Carter scored off a JPRD error.
The final run came in the sixth when Ben Miller singled and then scored off a squeeze bunt by Alexander.
Alexander led the for El Dorado with a hit, two runs scored and a RBI. Lester had two hits and a sacrifice.
Eric Whitfield took the loss for JPRD going five innings and left the game trailing 4-0.