Panthers exit playoffs after first round loss

Given the way that the Pine Prairie Panthers scraped and clawed their way through the regular and district seasons, it would stand to reason that they would do the same against the Notre Dame Pioneers in their first round playoff matchup on Friday. The Panthers did show grittiness and determination against Notre Dame.
However, the Pioneer offense was too much for Pine Prairie, as the Pioneers defeated the Panthers 14-2 in five innings to end the season for the Evangeline Parish ball club. Pine Prairie ends the season with an overall record of 17-9 and the district 5-3A runner-up
The visiting Panthers threatened early in the ballgame. In the top of the first inning, Pine Prairie put two runners on when J.T. Joubert singled and Matthew Rougeau walked with two outs. However, the Panthers could not manage to plate a run when Sylus Carson recorded the third out on a ground ball to the third baseman.
Notre Dame went to work on offense right away. The Pioneers batted around in the bottom of the first and scored five runs on three hits. Panther starting pitcher J.T. Joubert could not get into a groove on the hill and gave up two walks on top of the three hits to Notre Dame in the inning. As the first inning came to a close the Pioneers led 5-0.
Pine Prairie got the lead off runner on in the top of the second when Evan Lacross singled. The Panthers were not able to plate Lacross, as the next three hitters were all put out. Notre Dame was shut down in the bottom of the second, as Dylan Doucet came on in relief of Joubert. Doucet gave up a leadoff base hit, but was able to send the next three Pioneer batters down in order.
With one out in the top of the third, Doucet got things rolling for the Panther offense. Doucet laced a triple over the centerfielder’s head and jetted all the way to third base for a triple. A hard shot off of the bat of Joubert bobbled off of the shotstop’s glove, scoring Doucet and putting a runner on first base. A single by Rougeau and a walk issued to Carson gave the Panthers bases loaded with one out, but the inning ended when the next two Pine Prairie batters were retired. With that, the Panthers had now cut the Pioneer lead to 5-1.
Doucet mowed down the Notre Dame batters in the bottom of the third, striking out two of the three Pioneer players that came to the plate. Pine Prairie struck again in the top of the fourth inning when Josh Fontenot crushed a 1-0 pitch 350 feet over the leftfield wall with two outs. With that run, the Panthers now trailed by only three runs 5-2, and Pine Prairie now had a little momentum on their side.
That momentum would be short lived. The Pioneers exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to extend their lead to 14-2. Notre Dame combined four hits, including a double, a triple and a two-run home run, and two walks to basically put the game away. The Panthers came to bat in the top of the fifth needing at least three runs to extend the game. It was not to be, as Pine Prairie went down in order to end the game.
In the game, the Panthers collected five hits, including a home run by Fontenot, and a triple by Doucet. Joubert, Rougeau and Lacross all singled for Pine Prairie.
After the game, Pine Prairie Head Coach Jake Guillory lamented on the 2015 season. “First of all, I want to let all of my players know that I am so very proud and honored to be their head coach,” said Guillory. “We started with 20 players and finished with 17. All 17 players gave everything they had this season, especially the seniors. They showed true leadership, coming before practice every day and fixing the field and getting in extra batting practice before our real practice. They amazed me with their passion and vocal leadership.”
Guillory went on to add, “For a program that has really no practice facilities, and no place to take batting practice, I think we did a tremendous job this year. These guys faced a lot of adversity this year and fought through it. Being such a small community and having to play in 3A, it really does me proud that we can win 16 to 17 games a year and get into the playoffs.”