Tom Dodge
The St. Edmund Lady Jays began the 2019 softball season with a win and a close loss.
In the season opener against Elizabeth, the Lady Jays rallied from a five-run deficit to grab a 10-6 win.
The Lady Bulldogs exploded for an early lead with five runs in the top of the first frame as St. Edmund struggled early with three errors, two walks and a hit batter.
Kaitlyn Lilly and Brylee Young both reached on errors and Ava Ramsey walked to load the bases.
Karlee Buxton then walked to plate Lilly, while Adri Johnson was hit by a pitch to score Young.
Elizabeth’s lead was pushed to 3-0 when Madison Pelican advanced on an error that allowed Ramsey to score.
Natalie Welch rapped a two-run single to score Thompson and Johnson as the Lady Bulldogs as Elizabeth held a 5-0 advantage.
The Lady Jays battled back with four runs in the bottom of the inning, begun when Karleigh Soileau singled, Olivia Clark reached on an error and Kennedy Aucoin walked to load the bases.
The first Lady Jay run scored on a passed ball, while Kaitlyn Lacour singled to drive in Clark.
Aucoin later scored on a wild pitch, while Lacour scored on a passed ball to close the gap to 5-4.
After a scoreless second inning, Elizabeth added a run in the top of the third on a solo home run by Welch.
St. Edmund answered with three runs in the bottom of the third to grab the lead,
Lacour reached on an error and scored on a hit by Jamie Fuselier.
Felicity Thibodeaux later singled and Annabelle Fontenot walked to keep the rally going.
Jaedyn Soileau doubled in Fuselier and Thibodeaux as the Lady Jays took a 7-6 advantage.
St. Edmund added three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to seal the win.
With back-to-back walks, the Lady Jays by Mary Beth Lafleur and Fontenot, Jaedyn Soileau followed with a single to load the bases.
After a tag out at the plate, Fontenot and Jaedyn Soileau both scored on passed balls.
Clark walked and later scored on a passed ball for the final run of the game.
Karleigh Soileau earned the complete game win as she struck out three, walked two and allowed one earned run on five hits. She went 2-for-4 at the plate as well.
Jaedyn Soileau went 2-for-4 with two RBI.
LaGrange 12, St. Ed’s 8
The visiting Lady Gators exploded for seven runs in the third inning as LaGrange grabbed an 12-8 win over St. Edmund.
LHS opened the game with four runs in the top of the first frame, begun when Makayla Simien reached on a fielder’s choice and scored on a single by Kameryn Antoine.
Kaleahya Trahan also reached on a fielder’s choice and the Lady Gators moved ahead 3-0 on a 2-RBI double by Ki’Asia Mitchell.
Mitchell later scored on a Lady Jay throwing error to give LaGrange a 4-0 advantage.
St. Edmund responded with four runs in the bottom of the frame to tie the game.
Jaedyn Soileau singled, stole second and then scored when Kaitlyn Lacour reached on a Lady Gator error.
Kinsley Marcantel singled and courtesy runner Anne Marie Dupuis scored on another LaGrange error.
Jamie Fuselier reached on a Lady Gator miscue and tied the game on a hit by Anna Belle Fontenot.
After scoreless second inning, LaGrange went through the batting order in the third frame to take control of the game.
Mitchell, Jaelliea Shavers and Kenedy Lafleur all walked to load the bases.
Mitchell scored on a hit by Brittany Sterling, while Traelen Humphrey followed with a 2-RBI double to plate Shavers and Kenedy Lafleur for an 8-4 LHS lead.
Jordyn Lafleur singled and Trahan cleared the bases with a triple to allow Sterling, Humprey and Jordyn Lafleur to score.
The Lady Gator run of the inning came when Nayla Collins doubled in Trahan but was later called out for runner’s interference on a hit by Mitchell to end the inning.
St. Ed’s closed the gap in the bottom of the fourth, begun when Mary Beth Lafleur reached on an error, Sarah Duplechain walked and Jaedyn Soileau doubled in two runs.
Jaedyn Soileau later scored on a sacrifice fly by Karleigh Soileau to close the gap to 11-7.
The Lady Jays threatened to pull even closer as Marcantel and Kennedy Ardoin both singled and Lacour was hit by a pitch to load the bases but a ground out ended the inning.
St. Edmund pulled closer in the bottom of the sixth when Karleigh Soileau singled and scored on a passed ball.
LaGrange added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning when Trahan reached on an error and scored on a double by Antoine.
Marcantel went 3-for-4 including a triple and Jaedyn Soileau went 2-for-4 with two RBI for the Lady Jays.