Oilers Dig Deep, Cap Off Season as State Runners-Up

Posted July 26, 2019 / Last updated August 9, 2019

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Depth is a commonly used term when discussing oil, and it is the perfect word to use when describing the Retif Oilers’ route to the American Legion Louisiana State Championship.

Both meanings of the word—the distance from the bottom to the top, and the quality of being intense or extreme—are true in Retif’s case. The Oilers, who were 9-6-2 at the end of the regular season, overwhelmed their First District opponents to win the City Series and advance to state as a top seed. Retif then won three straight, by comfortable margins, in the state tournament to advance to the final game. Falling to the Southland Hogs on Wednesday, though, meant that Retif would only need to be defeated once in Thursday’s championship.

Pedal Valves, whom the Oilers defeated 6-3 earlier in the tournament, earned their revenge game in the finals and took advantage of the opportunity. The Oilers fell, 9-0, in a game that saw 10 Retif runners left on base. The Cardinals, who have won three state titles in the last four years, advance to the Mid-South Regional on a 15-1 tear with its lone loss coming from Retif in Game 2 of the state tournament. That upset victory for the Oilers, and the more controlling wins this postseason, were due to Retif’s roster depth. New starters who were playing junior varsity last summer or did not start on varsity stepped up to the challenge, enhanced team development, and succeeded—as individuals, as Oilers, and as Blue Jays.

Through the Lens…

View the Photo Gallery from the American Legion State Tournament

Senior Joel Guerra goes back to the track to catch a deep fly ball in the driver’s seat game against the Crowley Millers, which ended in Retif’s favor, 11-8.

By the Numbers…

Game 5: Retif (0) vs. Pedal Valves (9)
  1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th R H E
RETIF OIL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 1
Pedal Valves 1 2 0 5 0 1 X 9 12 0
Game 4: Retif (2) vs. Southland (13)
  1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th R H E
Southland Hogs 0 8 1 1 0 0 13 4 0
RETIF OIL 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 7 2

See Related…

NOLA.com | Pedal Valves Cardinals, Southland Hogs join Retif Oil in final round of American Legion Baseball State Tournament

Game 3: Retif (11) vs. Crowley (8)
  1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th R H E
RETIF OIL 1 2 0 0 0 3 5 11 10 2
Crowley Millers 0 0 2 2 0 3 1 8 12 0

See Related…

NOLA.com | Retif Oil clinches spot in American Legion Baseball State Tournament title game with 11-8 victory against Crowley; rain suspends play till Wednesday

Game 2: Retif (6) vs. Pedal Valves (3)
  1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th R H E
RETIF OIL 2 1 0 0 0 0 3 6 6 1
Pedal Valves 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 3 5 1

See Related…

NOLA.com | Confident Retif stuns Pedal Valves, 6-3, in American Legion Baseball State Tournament winner’s bracket game

Game 1: Retif (10) vs. ES & H (0)
  1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th R H E
ES&H (Destrehan) 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
RETIF OIL 3 0 1 5 1 0 0 10 13 0