SAFE AT THIRD—Pevey Realtors Justin Crowell kicks up dirt as he slides into third base ahead of the tag of Covington Post 16's Dexter Thompson Tuesday. Crowell also doubled and homered as Pevey defeated Post 16 8-4 at Athletic Park. Fred Batiste/Daily Star

Loranger's Piggly Wiggly American Legion team is in its first season in the Sixth District East, and the amalgam of three Class 3A schools — mostly Loranger — is doing just fine against the mostly 5A competition.

On Tuesday, Loranger went in to LLOG Exploration and took it to a Mandeville team coming off a class 5A quarterfinals season, coming from behind to defeat LLOG 9-7 and improve to 3-1 in the SDE West Division.

"I just want to be in the thick of it," Piggly Wiggly coach Jason Helmstetter said. "I just want to be competitive with these guys, and so far, we've done that. We've competed."

Meanwhile, Pevey Realtors and Covington Post 16 played a game of "top that" through the first four innings Tuesday at Athletic Park. But Post 16 could not top Justin Crowell's go-ahead solo home run in the fifth inning and a three-run sixth as Pevey pulled away for an 8-4 win.

"Us getting a few hits late and having that three-run inning gave us a little breathing room," Pevey head coach Mark Gosnell said. "I thought we played really hard tonight, but we're still learning. Hopefully we'll have a game or two to help us turn the corner."

That results left Pevey and Piggly tied for first at 3-1. Piggly Wiggly's next test comes Thursday at Hammond. The Hammond team hosted Peake BMW (St. Paul's) Tuesday night; results from that game were not available. Pevey travels to LLOG on Thursday in its next outing.

SIXTH DISTRICT EAST

Piggly Wiggly 9, LLOG Exploration 7

MANDEVILLE—Trailing 7-5, Piggly Wiggly scored four times in the fourth inning to take the lead for good. Helmstetter didn't have the game stats available, but said it was a good night at the plate for Loranger, which knocked out 11 hits.

"We didn't pitch real well, but we hit the ball well," Helmstetter said. "Our lineup was so good tonight, one through nine getting some key hits. I'm pleased. Our guys are getting some big hits for us."

Clint McDaniel started for Loranger but struggled before Bryce Himel came on in relief in the fourth and got the win. Steven Mercier came on in the sixth with bases loaded and no outs and gave up just one run before escaping with the lead intact and wound up getting the save for Piggly Wiggly.

Pevey Realtors 8, Covinston Post 16 4

PONCHATOULA—Post 16 (5-6, 1-3) struck the first blow in the top of the first when Brady King doubled and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Jeffrey Joiner.

Pevey tied it in its half when Crowell ripped a triple to score Randall Meyers, then took the lead in the second when Reeve Kirkland scored on a Post 16 error.

Post 16 came right back in teh third with singles King, Thompson and Joiner tying it, and Thompson scoring on a fielder's choice for a 3-2 lead.

Again Pevey answered in its half when Dylan Hills, singled, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Randall Meyers’ ground to tie it. Crowell's RBI double untied it and made it 4-3.

Covington capitalized on Pevey errors in the top of the fourth as Corey Galloway reached on one error and scored on another to tie it 4-4.

Crowell finally put Pevey ahead for good in the bottom of the fifth, taking Covington starter Devin Silvestri deep to right for a solo shot and a 5-4 lead. Crowell reached base in all four at-bats — drawing a walk in the bottom of the sixth — while driving in three runs.

"He had a great night," Gosnell said of Crowell. "We swung the bats very well today."

Pevey's offense gave starter and winner Elisha Settoon some insurance in the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases as Jeremy Trouillet beat out an infield single and Randall Meyers and Crowell each walked. Brandon Matherne came on in relief and uncorked a wild pitch to score Trouillet, then Kaleb Kraft doubled home two runs to account for the final margin.

—Reported by Fred Batiste

WOODEN BAT TOURNEY

Pevey Realtors 7, La. All-Stars 7

Pevey starter Randall Meyers gave up five runs in the first two innings as the All-Stars built a 7-0 lead. But Pevey staged a five-run rally in the fourth on singles by Elisha Settoon, Justin Crowell and Dylan Posey to load the bases, then five straight walks by All-Star pitchers cut the deficit to 7-5.

Pevey tied the game 7-7 in the sixth when Dylan Meyers and Reeve Kirkland walked and Cody Gueldner was hit by a pitch to load the bases. With two out, Dakota Simoneaux's dribbler back to the mound was thrown wildly to first, scoring two runs to knot the game.

Neither team could score in the seventh, and the game was halted due to the tourney's time limit.

Sport-n-Center 9, Pevey Realtors 2

Denham Springs-based Sport-n-Center American Legion club jumped on Pevey Realtors with five runs in the first as three walks, a three-run double and a hit batsman chased Pevey starter Dakota Simoneaux. Sport-n-Center then greeted reliever Reeve Kirkland with a pair of RBI singles.

Kirkland would allow only two more runs over the next two innings on four hits, but Pevey couldn't get on the scoreboard until the last of the third. Ryan Daniels reached on a fielder's choice and Ethan Murray and Randall Meyers singled to load the bases. Elisha Settoon's RBI single and a run-scoring passed ball accounted for Ponchatoula's only runs.

Pevey Realtors 6, Lafayette 5

Pevey starter Dylan Posey held Lafayette at bay through the first six innings, allowing only two runs on three hits while striking out five, walking three and hitting three batters. But Lafayette staged a three-run rally in the seventh, aided by two walks, a run-scoring wild pitch and an outfield error, to tie the game at 5-5.

But Randall Meyers led off the last of the seventh with a walk, Settoon singled off the pitcher's leg and Laramie Pittman singled to load the bases. Justin Crowell then drove one over the drawn-in outfield for the game-winner.

Pevey cut Lafayette's 2-0 lead in half in the first when Reeve Kirkland reached on an infield error and scored on a throwing error, then tied it in the second when Pittman tripled and scored on a wild throw.

Pevey took a 5-2 lead in the fifth when Kaleb Kraft doubled, Ethan Murray reached on a misplayed bunt, back-to-back RBI singles by Meyers and Pittman, and Crowell's RBI ground out.