Iberia Bombers win Bronco district tournament

EUNICE — The Iberia Bombers held off a seventh-inning threat to beat the St. Landry All-Stars 2-1 in the championship bracket finals of the Bronco District I Tournament Sunday and advance to the next level of postseason play.

The Bombers built a 2-0 lead midway through the third inning on a first-inning double by Austin Gaspard that led to his eventual run, scored on a passed ball for a 1-0 lead. Hale Trahan singled in the top of the third inning and scored on Gabe Fuselier’s RBI single for a 2-0 lead.

But Opelousas-based St. Landry scored a run in the bottom of the third to cut the score to 2-1, then made things really interesting in the bottom of the seventh.

Relief pitcher Dusty Meyers struck out the first two batters in the seventh inning and was ahead 0-2 against St. Landry’s No. 9 hitter.

The next pitch was sent down the third-base line for a triple, however, putting the potential tying run in scoring position where any kind of hit, error or passed ball would keep the game going.

Meyers got out of the inning by catching a line drive up the middle on the first pitch he threw to St. Landry’s leadoff hitter, ending the game and starting the celebration.

“They never gave up,” said Iberia team business manager Neal Trahan. “They were definitely determined. They never fell behind the whole tournament.

“We made some errors that we need to work on in practice this week.”

St. Landry plays again today in the loser’s bracket final, with the winner advancing to the sectional tournament that begins later this week in Crowley as the District II champion.

Gaspard was the winning pitcher, getting two strikeouts. Meyers, who struck out three, got the save.

Meyers also singled and doubled, Hale Trahan had a single, Falgout singled and drove in a run and Shaye Thibodeaux also had a hit for the Iberia Youth Baseball Association representatives.

Also playing for the Iberia Bombers were Myles Jeanminette, Stephen Speer, Hunter Deranger, Jeffrey Oubre, Bryce Leslie and Brennan Jackson.

Coaches are Wayne Jeanminette and Derek Evans.

The Bombers play the Rayne/Iowa winner at 8 p.m. Thursday in Crowley at the sectional tournament. A team from Picayune, Miss., joins district winners from Louisiana at the tournament.