LOCAL

Ascension Catholic baseball finishes 2023 season as runner-up

Staff Report

The Ascension Catholic High School baseball team pose with the state runner-up trophy after falling short against Ouachita Christian the afternoon of May 12 in Sulphur.

No. 2 seed Ascension Catholic fell to top-seeded Ouachita Christian in an 8-0 game in the Division IV Select championship held the afternoon of May 12 in Sulphur.

OCHS' Karson Trichel was the MVP, allowing just one hit in six innings. He also contributed with an RBI.

Ascension Catholic senior pitcher Bryce Leonard led off the game with a single, but Trichel was able to settle down and keep a pitcher's duel going with Leonard into the fifth inning.

Going into the game, Leonard was an ace for the Bulldogs on the mound, notching a 7-0 record.

Twin brothers Bryce and Brooks Leonard hold the state runner-up trophy May 12 in Sulphur. The seniors, set to graduate the following day, finished a stellar high school sports career which included success in both baseball and football over the years.

Twin brothers Bryce Leonard and Brooks Leonard capped a stellar high school sports career among the senior leaders on the team. The brothers both signed with Northwestern Louisiana University last year to continue their baseball careers as student-athletes.

For the seniors, they played their final game just one day before their graduation at Ascension of Our Lord Catholic Church in Donaldsonville.

Ascension Catholic finished the season with a 25-9 record, including the playoff run to the state tournament held in southwest Louisiana.

In the semifinals, Ascension Catholic defeated No. 3 Glenbrook, 4-1. The Bulldogs advanced in previous rounds with a 10-0 win over No. 7 Central Private and a 6-5 victory over No. 15 St. John.

Gonzales Weekly Citizen and Donaldsonville Chief, part of the USA Today Network of Louisiana, cover Ascension Parish and the greater Baton Rouge area. Follow at facebook.com/WeeklyCitizen and facebook.com/DonaldsonvilleChief.