Lady Demons bow out of LHSAA playoffs

The Mamou Lady Demons knew one detail all too well when they took the field on Monday in the first round of the 2015 LHSAA softball playoffs: their opponent, Kinder. The Lady Jackets and the Lady Demons both reside in district 4-2A and have faced each other four times in the last two years. This past season the two teams split their district contests, each squad winning at home. Mamou was hoping familiarity would turn into a victory which would allow them to advance on in the post-season. Unfortunately, the Lady Jackets were able to take advantage of some middle inning momentum, as they defeated the Lady Demons 4-0.
The game began as a pitching duel. Mamou’s Amber Manuel and Kinder’s Sarah Gartman turned back batter after batter in the first three innings of play. Neither squad could generate much offense against the opposing hurler. Gartman stuck five of the first twelve Lady Demon batters, only allowing one runner to second base. Manuel was also on target, striking out two and also letting only one runner to reach second. A marathon extra inning affair was in the making.
However, the tide turned in the fourth inning for the Lady Jackets. After shutting down a minor Mamou threat in the top of the fourth, Kinder was able to plate two runs in the bottom of the inning. All of the runs came courtesy of walks issued by Manuel. A fly ball to right field and a ground out to second base produced the first two outs of the inning.
With two outs, Manuel inexplicably began to lose pitching control. That and an unfavorable strike zone, allowed four Kinder batters to obtain free passes. With one run already across, a wild pitch allowed another run to be recorded. Manuel struck out the final batter, but the Lady Jackets now held a 2-0 advantage.
The fifth inning was pretty uneventful, as both teams could not push runs across the plate. In the bottom of the sixth, the Lady Jackets added what would become the final two runs of the game. Kinder recorded three hits in the inning, including a triple to extend their lead to 4-0. This was all that the Lady Jackets would need, as they were able to blank Mamou in the top of the seventh to seal the win.
After the game Mamou Head Coach Kim Manuel praised her team’s effort. “I really thought our girls gave everything they had tonight,” said Manuel. “They (Kinder) just took advantage of scoring situations tonight and we didn’t. I am very proud of the team; they have given every ounce of their energy all season long. I am especially proud of our seniors. They have shown true leadership all year long and I will miss every one of them.” Mamou finishes the season with an overall record of 12-10 and were district co-champs.