The John Curtis-Rummel semifinal lasted 11 innings and ended on a bunt

SULPHUR — Bryce Hebert and Dagan Bruno combined to allow only one run over 11 innings, and Hebert bunted home the winning run in the bottom of the last inning as John Curtis defeated Rummel 2-1 in an LHSAA Division I select state semifinal Thursday at McMurry Park.

The pitching duo outlasted Rummel pitching ace Giancarlo Arencibia, who retired 20 of the last 21 batters faced until the Tulane signee reached the LHSAA-mandated limit of 115 pitches with one out in the ninth inning.

Bruno, the winning pitcher with 4⅔ innings of scoreless relief, hit the single that put runners on the corners for Hebert to bunt as Brad Chaisson beat an underhand throw home from Rummel reliever Ryan Claverie.

Curtis (28-7), seeded second, will face No. 1 Catholic-Baton Rouge (37-2) in the state final set for 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

The big play in the final sequence came when Chaisson went from first to third on the single by Bruno and barely beat the throw from left field.

“We work stuff like that all the time,” Curtis coach Jeff Curtis said. “When little things have to matter in games, and I’ll tell you what, that little thing turned into a huge play because it gave us the opportunity to (have Hebert put down the winning bunt).”

Chaisson, who reached on a walk, did not expect to get waved to third when Bruno singled, but when he saw the signal from Jeff Curtis to keep running, “I was like, ‘All right, I guess we’re going, and I put my all into it.’ ”

When Hebert came to bat, he took the first pitch for a ball. He put his bat on the second pitch when it went “right where I wanted it, middle down,” he said.

Chaisson slid into home plate as Jeff Curtis ran alongside him and circled back toward the third-base dugout as Curtis players poured onto the field in celebration.

“The bottom line, and I told the kids this, that is the toughest play in baseball to defend,” Rummel coach Frank Cazeaux said. “You can’t defend it unless he pops it up. I knew it was coming.”

Curtis kept third-seeded Rummel (25-9) from scoring over the final seven innings, included one throw-out of a runner who tried to go from second to home on a groundout to the shortstop for the final out of the sixth inning.

Hebert pitched into the seventh inning and moved to first base with a runner on second with one out. Bruno, who began the game in left field, struck out the first batter when he moved to the mound and — after an intentional walk of LSU signee Mikey Ryan — ended the inning with a groundout.

The first run came when Curtis’ Juan Washington singled with two outs and courtesy runner Xavier Brown scored from first for a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Washington fouled off five pitches from the hard-throwing Arencibia (four strikeouts, two walks) before he singled to left field.

Rummel’s Gavin Nix drove in a run that tied the score when he hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the fourth inning.

Curtis center fielder Nate Alario tracked down a pair of flyballs hit into the gaps, including one with runners on the corners for the final out in the fifth inning.

Curtis won after it got swept by Rummel in the two District 9-5A games that helped Rummel win the Catholic League championship. Curtis, a nine-time baseball state champion, will seek its first title since 2018.

“The way the kids battled through it, man, I hope the kids have a little bit left in the tank for Saturday,” Jeff Curtis said. “Whatever happens on Saturday, I’m so super proud of this group for battling all the way and being able to play on the last day of the season.”