Jennings, Welsh standouts guide Millers to season-opening win
RAYNE – The Crowley Millers kicked off the 2018 American Legion season with a bang Wednesday, using a pair of big innings to cruise past the Rayne Wolves, 10-3, in a non-district contest at Legion Field.
The Millers (1-0) pushed across five runs in the second inning and added five more in fourth to stake a 10-0 lead.
Rayne avoided a shutout with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth and added their final run in the sixth.
The Millers’ second-inning outburst began with a pair of walks to Jennings’ Nick Zeman and Welsh’s Austyn Benoit. Church Point’s Austin Manuel then delivered a two-RBI double to right field for the first runs of the game.
Then, following, back-to-back walks to Eunice’s Ian George and Welsh’s Parker Primeaux, former Rayne Wolves player Demarcus James drilled a three-run double down the left field line to put the Millers up 5-0.
Another former Rayne High product and current LSUAlexandria standout Hunter Meche and Welsh’s Macey Hicks also had doubles in the frame.
The Millers added to their lead in the top of the fourth inning with five more runs on four hits, a walk and one error.
George reached base on a leadoff error and Primeaux gave the Millers runners at the corners when he reached on a dropped third strike. James then drew a walk to load the bases for Meche, who came through again with a two-run single to right field. Iota’s Deven Mouton, Zeman and Benoit each logged RBI singles after that to push the lead to 10-0.
Rayne avoided any further damage when Iota’s Hunter Andrus lined into a double play at third with the bases loaded and Welsh’s Dylan Degetyer flew out to left to end the inning.
Four Millers saw action on the mound and limited the Wolves to three runs on just five hits.
Manuel pitched the first two innings and surrendered two hits and struck out one. Primeaux worked the next two frames and allowed two runs on one hit and a walk.
Mouton took over in the fifth and sat the Wolves down in order before running into a bit of a jam in the sixth. Back-to-back singles and a walk loaded the bases for the hosts before a grounder back to the mound resulted in a double play. One run crossed the plate on a wild pitch before Mouton got the next batter to fly out to end the frame.
Iota’s Brett Spell closed out the game in the seventh with a ground out and a pair of strikeouts.
Offensively, the Millers belted out 11 hits on the evening.
Mouton and Meche led the way with three and two hits, respectively. James, Zeman, Benoit, Manuel, Hicks and Crowley High’s Christian Stafford each had one hit.
The Millers opened district play with Abbeville last night, but results of that contest weren’t available at press time.
Crowley returns to action on Tuesday when the Millers travel to Westminster to take on the St. Landry Bank Indians at 7 p.m.