By DAVE WOODALL
Slidell sports writer
SLIDELL – Salmen Spartan baseball is alive and well in the District 8-4A race and they proved it last week with a huge win over the Franklinton Demons 4-2. They also played a non-district game against Northshore last Saturday.
The win keeps them in first place with a 5-0 record.
But it didn’t start out well for the Spartans as the Demons jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first.
Jamarian Crain blasted a lead-off triple and was driven in by a Wyatt Verret RBI single to draw first blood.
Salmen got that run back in the second when, with one out, Bryce Nicaud, Mickeyren Bentley and Chad DeGruy walked to load the bases.
Nick Talamo followed with an RBI single to plate Nicaud but Bentley was thrown out at home to end the scoring.
Some fine pitching by Salmen starter Andre Beaudoin shut the Demons down in the next four innings while the Spartans added three more runs in the fourth.
Nicau led off the fourth with a walk and moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Bentley. DeGruy followed with a walk and a Talamo single.
Joey Smith produced a sacrifice fly to drive in Nicaud while DeGruy and Talamo scored on a Demon throwing error.
Franklinton went on to score a run in the sixth but it was too little, too late.
With one out, Crain singled and stole second base.
Dominguez then produced a two-out, RBI single to plate Crain to end the scoring.
Beaudoin finished the game striking out two Demon batters and getting the third with a groundout.
Dominguez took the loss going six innings giving up four runs on three hits, seven walks and one strikeout.
Beaudoin notched the win going the distance and giving up two runs on three hits, one walk and five strikeouts.
Salmen stranded five men on base while Franklinton left three.
“Andre (Beaudoin) has been working real hard on his location,” said Salmen coach Brian Babin.
“Today he gives up a lead-off triple and a single. And after that he comes back, bows his neck and fights hard. If he stays around the zone he’s tough. He’s got some good stuff and we are blessed to have him here.”
Salmen still has a way to go in district play with an away game at Franklinton, a non-district game against cross-town rival Northshore and home and away games against Lakeshore to finish the regular season.
The Spartans lost their away game to Franklinton 4-2 last Thursday putting a blemish on their district record now at 5-1.
In the Northshore game, the Spartans avoided being no-hit and shutout in an 8-1 Panther victory.