By DAVE WOODALL
Slidell sports writer
SLIDELL – Northshore’s Panther baseball team continues to play solid baseball.
The Panthers played two District 6-5A games last week and a non-district game against cross-town rival Salmen.
In their first game, the Panthers beat Hammond behind a superb pitching effort by Kraig Segrave.
Segrave picked up the win going five innings and giving up one run on two hits, three walks and five strikeouts.
Ryan Fussell took the loss going three innings giving up eight runs on eight hits, three walks and one strikeout.
Northshore got four runs in the first, one in the second, three in the third and four in the fourth to invoke the 10-run mercy rule after Hammond scored one in the fourth but failed to score in the fifth.
Eli Dubuisson, Max Meeker, Hunter May, Troy Compton and Michael Stutes each had two hits for the Panthers.
Leading the way was May who also had four RBI’s and two homeruns.
Compton had a double and a triple while Meeker had an RBI.
Also getting RBI’s were Stutes with three and Christian Garcia with three. Garcia also had a double.
In their second game, the Panthers spotted the Covington Lions five runs through two innings last Thursday night but came back to score seven unanswered runs to take a huge, come from behind 7-5 win to remain in the District 6-5A hunt.
Hunter McGoldrick came on in relief of Panther starter Ethan Campo and effectively shut down the Lions to preserve the win.
The Senior right-hander went 5 and a third innings giving up two hits, no runs, one walk and two strikeouts.
With the win, the Panthers move to 18-8 and 10-2 in league play, while Covington falls to 18-10 and 7-5 in league play.
Josh King led off the first inning with a single followed by a two-run homerun by Mark Danko.
The Lions added three more runs on the second inning lead grew to 5-0 when Covington pushed across three more runs on three hits, as Christian Wood and Garrett Jones RBI singles.
Northshore scored seven unanswered runs second inning and sent nine batters to the plate.
Hunter May reached on an error to start the inning.
With one out, courtesy runner Walter Harris came in to run for May. He stole second and scored on a RBI single from Branyan Bounds.
Two batters later, Bounds scored on Michael Stutes’ RBI single. Stutes advanced on a wild pitch and later scored on Eli Dubuisson’s RBI single, cutting the lead to 5-3.
The Panthers tied the game in the fourth on two hits that didn’t leave the infield.
Troy Compton led off the inning with a single followed Stutes who reached on a Panther error.
The single, coupled with a Covington throwing error, allowed Compton to score.
Dubuisson sacrificed Stutes into scoring position, where he scored the tying run when Meeker reached on an error.
Northshore took the lead for good in the fifth as May reached on a wild pitch after a strikeout.
Harris came in again as a courtesy runner for May and stole second and third base and scored on a throwing error while stealing third, to give his team a 6-5 advantage.
Another unearned run later in the inning made it 7-5 Northshore.
“I’m very proud of my guys for never giving up,” said Panther coach Glenn Rivero.
“They played hard and kept competing. Hunter McGoldrick did a great job in relief and the kids played well against a very good Covington team.”
In their game with Salmen that took place last Saturday at Spartan field, Panther starter Troy Compton saw his bid for a no-hitter and a shutout dashed by a bloop single by Salmen’s Chase Kitchens in the bottom of the seventh.
Despite that disappointment, the Panthers had their way with the Spartans winning the non-district game 8-1.
“Troy (Compton) threw the ball well today and really had good command of his fast ball and breaking ball,” said Northshore coach Glenn Rivero.
“We came out and swung the bats today and we were very patient and aggressive. That’s what you have to do to win games. I’m very pleased with the way they are playing as we go into the final games of the season.”
After a scoreless first inning, the Panthers drew blood in the second as Brayden led off with a single. Hunter May followed with a walk but was thrown out at second.
With two outs, a Salmen throwing error on a Branyan Bounds grounder scored Jobert to take a 1-0 lead.
The Panther’s added a run in the third on a triple by Michael Stutes and a Salmen error allowing Stutes to score.
Northshore got two more in the fourth inning when May led off with a single and a stolen base.
Garcia doubled to plate May and a fly to left by Compton drove in Garcia for a 4-0 lead.
The Panthers scored again in the fifth as Dubuisson tripled and scored on a Meeker RBI single.
Northshore ended the scoring in the sixth on hits by Garcia, Bounds and Stutes and RBI’s by Meeker, Compton and Stutes for an 8-0 margin.
In the seventh, with the no-hitter on the line, Compton walked Nick Talamo and gave up the only hit of the game to Kitchens who was thrown out at second.
Talamo moved to second on the Kitchen’s hit and to third on Joey Smith fielder’s choice. A fly ball to center by Andre Beaudoin drove in Talamo for Salmen’s only run of the game.
Blake Babin took for loss for Salmen going three innings giving up four runs on five hits and two walks.
Compton got the win going the distance and giving up one run on one hit, two walks and eight strikeouts.
“I knew I had a no-hitter going,” said Compton. “I just wanted to throw strikes and for the defense to make plays and they did that.”
Northshore now stand at 19-8 overall and 10-2 in District 6-5A while Salmen falls to 12-16 overall and 5-1 in District 8-4A.