The Port Allen Pelicans will venture away from home to square off against the East Iberville Tigers at 3:35 p.m. on Wednesday. Port Allen is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.5 runs per game this season.
Port Allen took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. They were the clear victor by an 11-1 margin over Liberty Magnet. Considering the Pelicans have won five matchups by more than eight runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Hunter Bodin
| 03/03/25 vs Liberty Magnet | 2 |
| 02/22/25 vs Southern Lab | 2 |
| 02/13/25 vs East St. John | 2 |
Hunter Bodin was a major factor no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 12 over six innings pitched. Bodin was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-4. Port Allen is undefeated when Bodin posts two or more runs, but 2-3 otherwise.
In other batting news, Johnny Payne was a standout: he went 1-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. He is becoming a predictor of Port Allen's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 2-3 when he doesn't). Branagan Ponthieux also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Port Allen hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Meanwhile, East Iberville hadn't done well against Liberty Magnet recently (they were 0-4 in their previous four matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Saturday. East Iberville walked away with an 8-3 win over Liberty Magnet. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Tigers.
Colton Melancon made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing Three bases. while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in stolen bases.
In other batting news, East Iberville let Cort Willis and Chene Thompson run wild. Willis got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one stolen base and one RBI, while Thompson scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-4. Thompson is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games he's played. Kade Cantrelle was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in two of his five plate appearances.
Port Allen's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-3. A key ingredient in that success has been their performance when it comes to hits: they averaged an imposing 9.33 hits in those games compared to only 4.8 in the others. As for East Iberville, the win got them back to even at 4-4.
East Iberville's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Port Allen hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .338. It's a different story for East Iberville, though, as they've only averaged .250. Will they be able to contain Port Allen's hitters?
Port Allen might still be hurting after the 12-0 defeat they got from East Iberville in their previous meeting back in February of 2024. Can Port Allen avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
