This article was originally published on Crescent City Sports on January 31.

Ridgewood Prep senior pitcher Brady Benoit had yet to lose a game during district play before the Eagles advanced to the Louisiana high school baseball playoffs in 1995. Then, in a quarterfinal playoff game against Ascension Catholic on May 6, he gave up only one hit and struck out 26 batters in a 13-inning marathon. Despite his performance, Ridgewood ended up losing the game, and Benoit took his only loss of the season.

In a recent interview with Benoit, he said the game was not his best performance, even though he retired 26 batters on strikeouts. He said, “I was effectively wild that day since I also walked 13 batters and hit a couple of batters. A bunt single was the only hit I gave up.” He added, “I could throw pretty hard, so opposing batters were not comfortable digging in at the plate.”

Ascension, the two-time defending state champion, scored twice in the second inning on a squeeze-play and a bases-loaded walk. Ridgewood put up single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to even the score. The Eagles threatened in the bottom of the ninth but failed to score on a fine defensive play by Ascension’s shortstop who threw out an Eagles’ baserunner at home plate.

Ascension thwarted another Ridgewood scoring opportunity in the 11th. Their left fielder threw out an Eagles runner attempting to score from second base on a single.

In the 13th inning, with the game over four hours old, Ascension went ahead on Ridgewood’s misplay of a squeeze bunt attempt and won, 3-2.

Benoit estimates he probably threw between 230 and 250 pitches that day. He admits he was a bit fatigued toward the end of the game, but says his adrenalin was pumping and he stayed focused on “just getting the next batter out.”

He recalled, “Around the ninth inning, I saw someone warming up in the bullpen and wondered what was going on.” His coach Steve Stropolo started walking out to the mound. Stropolo, who currently coaches at Haynes Academy, remembers that Benoit stopped him at the base line and told him, “I’m not coming out of this game. I’ll come out when the other team’s pitcher is taken out.” Stropolo says it was a testament to Benoit’s grit and character as a competitor.

Benoit still believes an under-appreciated fact in that game was his catcher Kenny Goodlett, current Jesuit High School head coach, caught all 13 innings.

Stropolo told the Times-Picayune after the game, “We had opportunities the whole game to win and couldn’t make the play. They didn’t get a ball out of the infield against Brady, but they made the plays when they had to. We needed to make one, and we didn’t.”

The coach reflects on the game now, “There was no such thing as pitch counts back then, so I let Brady go the entire game. It was a heartbreaking loss for him, considering what he had accomplished.”

Benoit’s strikeout rate for the playoff game was not unusual for him. In district play, he averaged over two strikeouts per inning. He was named his district’s most outstanding player for the second time, while also garnering All-State honors. Besides his pitching success, he was a good-hitting third baseman.

When asked what his best pitching performance was, if not the 26-striketout game, Benoit cited his first-ever no-hitter, in American Legion play later that summer. He recalled striking out 15 (and walking only three) in a nine-inning contest in the Second District East Tournament. Remarkably, he pitched a back-to-back no-hitter in his next Legion outing in the Southeast Louisiana Tournament.

Benoit went on to play four seasons with University of New Orleans. He made appearances in both starter and reliever roles during his career.

He is currently in his third season as head coach for Mandeville High School. He has also held head coaching jobs with Ridgewood Prep, St. Martin’s Episcopal, Northshore High School, and Fort Worth Country Day in Texas. He has been an assistant coach at Rummel, De La Salle, and Delgado Community College.