Oak Grove baseball overcame youth to beat Grand Lake for second straight LHSAA title
SULPHUR – Oak Grove scrapped by Grand Lake to take its second straight LHSAA baseball Class 1A state title after a 2-1 eight-inning win Friday night in a rematch of the 2021 championship.
At one point in the season, the possibility of winning back-to-back titles was becoming slim to none. With young players at the core of the Tigers' lineup, inexperience appeared to be the factor to cut them out of the race.
"This season has been just wild," Oak Grove coach Ty Rollinson said. "...We were filling rolling and trying to figure stuff out until about a month ago and we weren't perfect, we weren't perfect tonight."
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The repeat win against the Hornets (22-7) gave Oak Grove (15-15) their fifth LHSAA baseball state championship.
But this one wasn't easy. In fact, it took an extra inning.
The game was tied at 1 in the top of the eighth when freshman Luke Simmons drove in what would be the winning run with a bases-loaded single. Simmons was later named the most outstanding player after driving in the run.
"I was like, 'That'll do it,' I came out the box saying 'That'll do it,' " Simmons said. "I don't really think I earned this, I was just playing ball. This was a team effort, this year ain't been the best but we competed."
Rollinson said he told his team beforehand that this game would be a fight until the finish. Remaining level headed and calm throughout the frames would be key for them to stay in the game.
"It wasn't easy at all," Rollinson said." When you get into an atmosphere like this, a game of this caliber, everybody's emotions are a little bit higher."
Rollinson said Simmons is the most even-keeled player on the roster and has consistently been someone he knows he can relay on.
Caleb Proctor had a two hits and scored a run and Caden McCarthy had an RBI double and eight strikeouts for the Tigers' efforts.
In the bottom of the third, Grand Lake's Grant Trahan hit a sacrifice fly for the early lead. Behind Kylin Broussard's 13 strikeouts, the Hornets' defense was firing on all cylinders but their bats went cold.
Only losing two seniors brings hope to the Tigers for next season, Rollinson said.
"We can't be content," Rollinson said. "Obviously, you know, target was on our back this year, it's going to be even more next year and we're just going to have to keep grinding."
Emely Hernandez covers University of Louisiana-Monroe athletics and high school sports. Email her at ehernandez@thenewsstar.com and follow her on Twitter @emhernandeznews.
This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: Oak Grove baseball beats Grand Lake, repeats LHSAA state champion
