La. Knights 17s post victory in final game of the summer

The Louisiana Knights 17s finished off the summer in winning fashion last Friday, downing the Louisiana Legends 16s, 11-2, in five innings at Southeastern Louisiana University. The Knights 17s capped off the season with a 24-15 record, improving from last year’s inaugural mark of 17-18.

Wes Rea, who closed with a .356 batting average, went 2-for-3 with a three-run homer his fourth round tripper of the summer to the opposite field in the third inning. Rea also collected an RBI double and scored a run. Rea’s four-RBI performance gave him the Knights’ lead with 29 runs driven in. Shortstop Daniel Brockhoeft, who batted .359, had a 2-for-2 game with a double. He scored three times and drove in a run. Catcher Chad Fortenberry, the Knights 17s’ top hitter, who stroked the ball at a .500 clip (41-for-82), had an RBI double driving in his 24th run of the summer.

Fortenberry said his club had a really good summer with balanced pitching and hitting. “We faced some tough pitching. We played quite a few teams that had college players on their rosters while all of our players were 18 and under. We had consistent pitching this summer, and our bats came through when we needed them to,” Fortenberry said.

Michael Pustanio (.316 average) went 2-for-3 with an RBI and scored once in Friday’s victory. Colt Bruhl (.371) drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Bruhl topped the Knights with 40 runs scored. He was also the team leader with 13 stolen bases in 15 attempts. Robert Boudreaux chipped with a hit, drove in a run and scored once. James Abraham walked twice and tallied two runs.

The Knights plated eight runs in the bottom of the third inning, and finished the game with 10 hits.

Knights’ starter Sean Kennel (3-4) picked up the victory, going four and two third innings. He allowed two earned runs on six hits. He finished the summer with a 2.32 earned run average. Trey Marino got the final out.

Knights 17s head coach Chris Pool said his team had some clutch at bats to take the momentum. “We had some great at bats fouling off pitches before coming up with a couple of key extra base hits. We had some good at bats in crucial situations, which helped break open the game,” Pool said.

On Saturday, the Knights’ game against the Gulf Coast Stars was called due to rain in the bottom of the third inning with the Knights trailing 2-1. The Stars tallied two unearned runs in the first inning. Rea ripped a homer for the Knights’ run before the came was cancelled.

Pool said he was proud of the way his team performed throughout the summer.

“They played the game the right way. It is a very talented group who prepared themselves to play older, more experienced competition,” Pool added.

Pool will take over the general manager position for the Knights, replacing founder and coach Jack Cressend who has accepted an assistant coaching position with Tulane University.

Brian Babin, the Fontainebleau High Bulldogs’ head baseball coach, served as the Knights 17s assistant coach this summer.