Pine’s Connor Ard was solid on the mound and his offense backed him up in a huge way in an 18-2 five-inning victory over Bogalusa Monday at BHS.

Ard threw all five innings, allowing just one run on four hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.

“It’s my first time pitching in a while (ankle injury), but I was confident,” Ard said. “I threw strikes like I should.”

Pine coach Blake Dillon agreed.

“He threw strikes all night,” Dillon said. “He had (two) walks. That’s what we’ve been getting from him this season. We’ve had great starting pitching from all of our starting pitchers, and he’s one of our best of throwing strikes. He’s doing a great job.”

The game was tied 1-1 after the first, but Pine (7-8) scored four in the second to go up 5-1. Ard opened the frame by reaching on an error and Trevor Stuart was hit, then courtesy runners Connor Holmes and Jamie Adcox pulled off a successful double steal. Nick Adcox drove in a run with a grounder to second, sending Holmes in, but he reached on an error that allowed Jamie Adcox to score, making it 3-1. Hunter Cooper was hit before Cody Cooper and Seth Brown produced RBI groundouts, plating Nick Adcox and Hunter Cooper to put Pine up 5-1 through two.

The Raiders made it a lopsided contest in the third, scoring nine runs on five hits and taking advantage of four Lumberjack errors.

Kendall Watson began things with a double to the right centerfield gap, then Jordan Phelps reached on a miscue and swiped second. Ard posted an RBI single, plating Watson. Stuart hit a grounder, but the ball was booted, and Phelps scored for a 7-1 lead before courtesy runner Holmes scored on a throwing error to make it 8-1.

Hunter Cooper posted an RBI single, which sent courtesy runner Jamie Adcox home. Cody Cooper was hit, and then the Raiders pulled off another double steal before Brown sent both players home with a two-run single for an 11-1 lead.

Watson reached on an error to load the bases, Phelps drew an RBI walk that scored Brown and Ard hit a two-run double to left, sending Smith and Watson to the plate. It was 14-2 after three.

Bogalusa (1-6 at press time) scored a run in the fourth. Kentrell Anders singled with one out.

After a two-out walk to Marlon Myles, Meechie Baham singled to score Anders.

Pine had a 14-2 lead through four and added four more in the fifth for the 18-2 final.

Bogalusa coach Michael Cummings said his young team just has to improve.

“We’re not playing good baseball right now,” Cummings said. “We’re too inconsistent. We’ll have one good game and three bad ones, and that’s inexperience. The only thing that stops that is experience. The only way to get that is to play some games and take some beatings.”

Tournament play

Both teams competed in the Livingston Invitational Tournament this weekend.

Bogalusa lost all three games. The Lumberjacks fell to Springfield 5-1 in their opener and then Maurepas and Family Christian, 10-4 and 13-0, respectively, on Saturday.

Against Maurepas, Elijah Hatcher and Tymon Jackson both recorded a hit.

Pine went 1-2 in the tournament. After losing to Doyle, 2-1, and Broadmoor, 23-1, Thursday, the Raiders fell to Jewel Sumner, 3-2, Friday.

Sumner broke a 2-2 tie with a run in the fifth.

Smith singled and drove in a run, while Brown, Holmes and Cody Cooper all had one hit for Pine.

Hunter Cooper was the hard-luck losing pitcher. He threw a complete six-inning game, allowing just one earned run on 10 hits with nine strikeouts and three walks.