LA Heat splits with Kinder Chaos
By Jamie Anfenson-Comeau
Thunder and lightning proved to be no more than a minor inconvenience for both teams Monday night as the St. Edmund-based LA Heat softball team split a doubleheader against the Kinder Chaos, with the junior varsity team falling 5-4 in the opener and the varsity team scored a two-run shutout in the nightcap.
LA Heat drew first blood in the opener, loading the bases with only one out before Kelsey Hebert singled to drive in Blair Wallett.
Kinder took the lead in the top of the third, when April Sensat doubled to drive in one run before scoring on Haley Stoup’s double.
But Heat retook the lead in the second half, tying the score on Alexis Johnson’s single before Ashley Miller scored on a wild pitch for the lead.
Chaos retaliated with a three-run breakout in the top of the fourth. Cacie Franklin singled to drive in one run before Kalli Andrus’ triple drove her home.
Andrus then scored on Katherine Reed’s base hit to give Chaos a two-run lead before dark clouds and lightning called a temporary halt to the game.
The storm passed quickly, however, and play resumed, with Johnson driving in one run in the bottom of the fifth.
LA Heat was unable to tie the score before Kinder’s defense put an end to the inning.
Despite the loss, the junior squad has shown a great deal of improvement at the midpoint of their season, LA Heat Coach Louise Johnson said.
“I think we’re starting to see some progress in their knowledge of the game, in their ‘heads up’, and their confidence level’s going up. It’s really good to see that, and I hope we can keep that up,” Coach Johnson said.
Miller opened up pitching for LA Heat, handing out one run on two walks and no hits while striking out three batters.
Reliever Brooke Fontenot took the loss, with four runs on four hits.
LA Heat was joined by their older players for the nightcap, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second when Johnson singled, advanced on a sacrifice fly by Adrienne Fontenot and a single by Miller before scoring on Taylor Richard’s base hit.
LA Heat added an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth, loading the bases with only one out before Simone Guillory scored on a wild pitch.
Richard drew a walk to load the bases again, but Adrienne Fontenot was caught reaching at third for the second out.
Erin Clause’s base hit loaded the bases a third time, but Wallett’s ground-out to second base ended the threat.
Chaos rallied in the top of the last inning; after Franklin hit a pop-up fly for the first out, pitcher Leah Andrus hit Kinder’s Kalli Andrus with a pitch.
Kallie Andrus’ courtesy runner, Emily Fontenot, then advanced to second on a wild pitch before Cheyanne Perkins drew a walk.
Both runners advanced on Lindsey Pitre’s groundout before Katherine Reed was walked, loading the bases.
Chelsea Welsh then ground out to third baseman Richard, who threw to Anne-Marie Himel at first just barely in time to end the game.
Leah Andrus pitched the full five-inning game, giving up two hits and three walks while striking out six batters. She recorded one hitbatsman.
LA Heat plays at DeQuincy at 5:30 p.m. tonight.