The Glenbrook Apaches fell to No. 1 Opelousas Catholic 10-0 in five innings in the select Division IV state championship game Friday at McMurry Stadium in Sulphur.
But that’s not how Glenbrook’s 2024 season will be remembered. The No. 11 seed Apaches made it to a state championship game in only their second season eligible for the LHSAA playoffs.
They recovered from a slow start and upset the No. 6, No. 3 and No. 2 teams to reach the title game. No one outside of the Glenbrook community expected the Apaches to make it as far as they did.
Glenbrook won 13 of its last 16 games and finished 16-11. Opelousas Catholic closed 30-6.
Friday was simply Opelousas Catholic’s day, especially the first inning. The Vikings scored all 10 runs in the bottom of the frame.
Opelousas Catholic had four of their five hits in the inning, including a triple and double. The Vikings also took advantage of an error, five walks, two hit-by-pitches and a couple of wild pitches.
Glenbrook junior Easton Sanders, who pitched three complete games in the playoffs, wasn’t able to pitch because of the LHSAA’s pitch-count rule that deems a pitcher must rest three calendar days after throwing 85 or more pitches.
Sanders threw 106 in a 3-2 victory over Covenant Christian in the semifinals Tuesday.
However, one run may have been enough for Opelousas Catholic with the way senior right-handed Jordan Luna was pitching. The LSU Eunice signee threw a no-hitter with seven strikeouts and only one walk.
Glenbrook used three pitchers in the first, including a pair of freshmen.
Senior Landry Powell, the starter at catcher, took the mound at the start of the second inning and kept the Vikings off the scoreboard the rest of the way. He allowed a leadoff single then sat the next seven Vikings down in order. He walked a batter with one out in the fourth before the Apaches turned a double play.
Luna induced three groundouts in the top of the fifth to end the game via the 10-run rule.