PJP baseball loses playoff game in nine

SLIDELL — The No. 29 Pope John Paul Jaguars baseball team battled No. 4 Sterlington for nine innings, but came up with a 6-5 loss in the first round of the Class 2A baseball playoffs.
The Jaguars were held scoreless through five innings but took a 3-2 lead with a three-spot in the sixth. Sterlington sent the game into extra innings scratching one across in the bottom of the seventh and both teams pushed across two runs in the eighth.
Pope John Paul (9-17) fell just short of the upset as Sterlington came up with a walk-off hit in the ninth to win the game.
Pope John Paul’s Blayne Haro pitched a complete game in the game, allowing four earned runs on five hits while striking out 16. He also went 2-for-4 at the plate with a two-run home run while Justin Gandy also finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
Austin Haman was Sterlington’s (23-7) top hitter going 2-for-3 with two solo home runs and three RBIs. Ross Lambert was awarded the win in 5 1/3 innings of work giving up three runs.