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By Rodrick Anderson
SULPHUR — With South Beauregard’s hopes of a state championship dangerously close to being spoiled by Sterlington, senior Layden Sepulvado helped deliver the Golden Knights’ first state championship since 2017.
No. 1 South Beauregard (31-3) beat No. 2 Sterlington 7-4 (23-10), and Sepulvado was named the game MVP.
“I am excited,” South Beauregard head coach Jeremy Deville said. “I am excited for these guys, these seniors who are going out winning the last game.
“I am so excited for this team and this community. It was awesome. I don’t care who we are playing, we wanted to win this game. I respect those guys, and they are a great baseball team. We knew it was going to be a tough game, a back-and-forth game. They wouldn’t go away. They wouldn’t quit.”
With the Golden Knights’ lead down to one run, 5-4, Sepulvado hit a one-out triple to center field and brought home Gunner Courtney and Bryce Deason.
Sepulvado finished the game 3 for 4 with four RBI. In six playoff games, Sepulvado batted .471 with 11 RBI and four extra-base hits.
“I felt a little better about it then. That is stuff that he has been doing this whole (season). He has played a lot for four years. He is a three-year starter for us, and he comes up big — big-time players in big-time games. That was a big hit.”
Left-handed pitcher Clayton Folks finished the season undefeated, earning his 10th win after striking out eight and walking three in four and two-third innings. He allowed three earned runs on five hits before being relieved by Brycen Dartez, who pitched two and one-third scoreless innings to close out the game and earn a save.
The game was back and forth early. Sterlington took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third on Miller Sheets’ RBI single. South Beauregard came right back in the bottom half of the inning on Sepulvado’s second RBI single and a two-run triple by Luke Brister.
The Panthers cut the deficit to one run in the top of the fifth with two runs on another RBI single by Sheets and an error.
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