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Ninth inning heroes, Gauthier Amedee's Blaine Schexnayde?r (Left) and Madison Nickens. - (Hank Brady, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
Retif Oil entered the bottom of the ninth up four runs and it seemed the defending Southeast American Legion Champion would be heading into the winners bracket, but Dutchtown-based Gauthier Amedee had other ideas.
After the Jesuit-based team walked two batters to start the final inning, Gauthier Amedee?s bats heated up as it went on a five-run rally, shocking Retif Oil, 9-8, at Kirsch-Rooney Stadium?Saturday?night.
Rising senior shortstop Blaine Schexnayder led the Dutchtown-based team going 3-for-4 with four RBIs. Three of those runs were earned in an exceptional final at-bat as Schexnayder crushed an inside fastball 330 feet for a homerun, which scored three runners, giving his team a one-run deficit (8-7).?
Madison Nickens finished the comeback with a two-RBI double to the left field gap which scored Jace Fairchild, who barely beat the tag-out at home, as Gauthier Amedee won in exhilarating fashion. ?
?The excitement level is through the roof right now; coming back against a great team like this gives us all the momentum in the world,? said Nickens, who finished 3-for-5 with a solo-homerun and three RBIs. ?It?s big because we beat (Retif Oil)?the defending national champion?It?s just a big win to have especially because of the big momentum swings, and it feels good.?
Stephen Sigle led the Jesuit-based team with four RBIs as Retif Oil controlled most of the game garnering four runs in the opening inning and leading 7-3 heading into the sixth.
However, in the ninth, pitcher C.J. Avrard (3-3) entered the game with two men on and no outs, but had control issues and gave up a homerun and the game-winning RBI double.
??It?s like you?re in the backyard with your dad and you get that pitch you always wanted,? said Schexnayder of his ninth-inning homerun off of Avrard. ?I looked for the pitch I (wanted) and I got it.?We?ve (comeback) before and we always believe we can do it and right now we feel invincible.?
Coach Justin Morgan was proud of his players and cited prior victories this summer that allowed his team to come up big in the end.
?Finally in the ninth we got a couple of lead base-runners on base with no outs and we got a couple of big hits,? he said. ?When those things happened?when the kids see those positive things going on?they go back to past games and realize we?ve been here before and let?s continue to push the game along and just see what happens.?
Nathan Zimmer and Dylan Weston each added an RBI for Retif Oil, while pitcher Andre Liotta (3-0) got the win for Gauthier Amedee.
?Gauthier Amedee will play the John Curtis Patriots in the winners? bracket game?Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
?Jesuit-based?Retif Oil was not available for comment after the loss.?
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Hank Brady can be reached at?prep@nola.com?or 504.826.3405.?
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