DENHAM SPRINGS – Jordan Rittiner sat in a metal folding chair, both hands delicately holding onto his royal blue baseball cap, his eyes staring out into nothing in particular.

A year after leading Jesuit to a state championship from the mound, the junior left-hander tasted the bitterest kind of defeat Saturday night in Denham Springs.

By Bradley Handwerger / WWL-TV.com

Jesuit's Joe Palmer gets back to first base safe during the 5A championship game. Jesuit lost 7-5 to Barbe.

Jesuit couldn’t hold off Barbe either time it took the lead and fell 7-5 in the Class 5A state championship game.

It was the first time in three tries the Buccaneers have defeated the Blue Jays, Jesuit winning in the first round of the 1996 playoffs and in the 2002 championship game.

But after starting the season 10-9 and 0-2 in District 10-5A, few even expected Jesuit to make a run at its second straight state title.

“I don’t know if there’s anybody who thought we’d make it to here (championship game) or Denham Springs at all,” senior infielder Mason Katz said. “We came together as a team really well late in the season. … We put up a great run. They came out on top. They played a little better today.”

“We overcame a lot of adversity,” Jesuit pitcher Jordan Rittiner said. “No one thought we’d get here. We proved everyone wrong. We almost got to the top.”

Jesuit had its chances, leading 3-0 and 5-4 during the game. But the chance missed was in the top of the seventh, when the Blue Jays loaded the bases with one out.

Barbe (36-7) pitcher Ryan Doiron walked Chad Guidry, then intentionally walked Katz – who was the tournament’s offensive MVP. Joe Morse slapped a single through the gap between first and second and the Blue Jays were in business.

But Joe Palmer struck out swinging and Stephen Lukinovich struck out looking to end the game and Jesuit’s chance of defending its 2007 state championship.

“Jesuit is a great tradition,” Barbe head coach Glenn Cecchini said. “They’re unbelievable. They’re warriors.”

Ryan Doiron got the win for Barbe, pitching a five innings Saturday night and a total of 13 over a 36-hour period. Against Jesuit, Doiron gave up two runs on four hits while he struck out four.

“The way it’s setup, to win three games in 36 hours, you’re going to see that every year,” Jesuit coach Tim Parenton said. “Every state championship is the exact same way.  Whoever has one guy who can step out there and get in five or six innings is the champion. That’s it.”

And that was Doiron. But it didn’t start that way.

It started in the top of the first. Jesuit picked up two quick runs when Mason Katz drove a pitch out of the park over the center field wall. Just like that, it was 2-0 Blue Jays.

In the second, Jesuit picked up another run when Scott Cronin reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second, went to third on balk and scored on Cory Guidry’s single.

But Barbe answered in its half of the second. Hommy Rosado walked and stole second, moved to third on Eric Cutrera’s single and came home on Bubba Hoffpauir’s single to right.

Garin Cecchini’s single scored Cutrera and put runners on the corners. Both Hoffpauir and Cecchini reached home on Tanner Mathis’ double to deep left.

However, on a 1-2 pitch, Katz drilled his second homer of the night, tying the game 4-4 with a blast to left field off of Barbe ace Ryan Doiron, who entered the game as the pitcher in the top of the third.

“The first at-bat, I was just trying to move the runner over to second,” Katz said. “The second at-bat was two strikes, I just got a high-pitch fastball.”

Katz’s presence was felt again in the top of the fifth. This time, Barbe took the intentional walk approach. It backfired. With one out and Katz on first, Joe Morse singled up the middle to move Katz to second.

Katz then came home when a ball hit by Joe Palmer took a high hop over the second baseman’s head and into right field. Jesuit, after surrendering a 3-0 lead in the third, retook the lead 5-4 on Katz’s run.

It would be the last time Jesuit led all night.

Jesuit had no answer for Barbe’s fifth inning, when the Buccaneers chased reliever David Hatfield only to get to Blue Jays’ ace Jordan Rittiner, who recorded the win in Friday’s 9-7 quarterfinal win over Acadiana.

Hatfield gave up the tying run. Rittiner allowed the game-winning one.

Tanner Mathis doubled, then came home on Nick Doty's double. Then Rittiner came in and Cody Hilliard, pinch-running for Doty, scored on a single by Doiron. Rosado brought Doiron home with a double to left-center.

The inning gave Barbe a 7-5 lead it wouldn’t surrender in the final two innings.