Shea Daly hit a clutch two-out base hit to score a pair of runners and Kyle Hoffpauir baffled Ben Franklin’s batters for most of the game to help Catholic High secure an 8-0 shutout win in the opening round of the Class 3A baseball playoffs on Friday at Emmitt Froisy Field.

Daly’s two-strike single to left field gave Hoffpauir a 4-0 lead in the third inning and another run came home when Ben Franklin catcher Steve Fielkow was run over while standing in the basepath, letting the throw from the outfield go to the backstop for a 5-0 CHS lead.

“Shea comes up with two out and two strikes and gets a clutch hit,” said CHS coach David Jordan. “Those are the type of hits that break other teams’ backs.”

Nathan Gondron of Catholic High slides around Ben Franklin catcher Steven Fielkow on Friday. - Lee Ball / The Daily Iberian Advertisement

That was plenty of run support for Hoffpauir, though the Panthers tacked on another three runs in the bottom of the sixth to put the game securely out of reach.

Hoffpauir allowed four runs and walked four while striking out 10 in earning the complete-game victory. His only real trouble came in the sixth inning when a walk, an infield single and another walk loaded the bases with nobody out. But Hoffpauir wriggled out of trouble with a strikeout, a line drive out to third base that almost resulted in an inning-ending double play, and another strikeout.

“I really focused on throwing strikes,” said Hoffpauir of how he approached the batters after loading the bases. “If he was going to hit it, he was going to hit it. I just had to throw strikes. I knew I had runn support, so even if I got a ground ball I still would have the lead.

“My defense played a hell of a game. Thomas (Theriot) made a hell of a play at third base (on the one-out line drive in the sixth). That definitely helped.”

Only two other baserunners got into scoring position for the Falcons, who finished the season with an 18-5 record. Steven Jones singled in the first and stole second, then tried to take third when the throw went into center field. Ridge Gonsoulin gunned down Jones easily with a strike to third base to eliminate the baserunner.

In the third inning, a walk to Tervor Koplitz and a base hit by Jones, who had three of Ben Franklin’s four singles, put runners on first and second with two out. A weak grounder back to the mound ended that threat.

“That’s the second best pitcher we faced this year,” said an impressed Falcons coach Glenn Trotter. “We couldn’t figure his pitches out. Today we stranded seven baserunners.”

Jordan said Hoffpauir had to work out some rust after not pitching for about eight days.

“We made a big attempt to get Kyle as much rest and Ben (Suit) as much rest as we could,” said the coach. “Midway through the season those guys were piling up a lot of innings.”

“After the first inning I felt pretty good,” said Hoffpauir.

Catholic High, which improved to 20-10, didn’t face similar pitching after Ben Franklin ace Dylan Laventhal was hit by a pitch about a week ago. The resulting bruising interfered with Laventhal’s sidearm delivery, said Trotter, so the Falcons went with freshman left-hander Stephen Wojokowski instead.

“My little pitcher fell apart there (toward the end),” said Trotter. “He got frustrated.”

That came in the sixth after Hoffpauir led off with a double off the fence in right field a couple of feet short of being a home run, followed by a fly out to deep left field and then a four-pitch walk to Jed Viator. Shortstop Pat Finneman took over on the mound then, getting Jason Mouton to hit into a ground out to third that drove in one run. After Hunter Crochet sliced a pitch to left that curled away from Laventhal for a double, a pair of wild pitches brought in two more runs for the final margin.

Gonsoulin went 2-for-3 at the plate with a double and a run scored. Crochet was 2-for-2 with a double, an RBI and a run; Chase Richard was 1-for-2 with a run and reached base two more times on a walk and after being hit by a pitch; Daly was 1-for-3 with two RBIs; and Hoffpauir went 1-for-3 with a double. Viator scored twice, Matt Roy scored a run and courtesy runner Matt Geoffroy also scored a run.

“One through nine we hit the ball well,” said Jordan. “Even the guys who didn’t get base hits moved the runners up. Hunter hit the ball real well. Chase has been out with a thumb injury, and he hit the ball well.”

CHS plays host to Loranger at 4 p.m. Tuesday in the regional round. No. 10 seed Loranger beat 23rd seed Jena 6-3 in the opening round.