Lady Bobcats clinch second place in District 4-4A
By Tom Dodge
The Lady Bobcats batted through the line-up twice and had eight batters in the box in another inning as Eunice pounded DeRidder 12-4 in District 4-4A action Tuesday.
“We clinched second place,” Eunice (14-6-2) head coach Scott Deshotel said of the win. “We have LaGrange Thursday (Senior Night) and Sam Houston next Monday.”
DeRidder grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when lead-off hitter Marlie Westfall bunted and later stole home on Ashley Shell’s fielder’s choice.
After allowing the first three batters to reach base, Lady Bobcat pitcher Jori Lejeune struck out three in a row to stop the Lady Dragon rally.
Nine Lady Cats batted in the bottom of the second as Eunice grabbed a 3-1 advantage and never looked back in the key district contest.
Sarah Hebert singled, Brittany Faul reached on a fielder’s choice and Brittany Chapman singled to load the bases.
Amber Darbonne then singled to score pinch runner Jennifer Frey to tie the game.
Andrea Kramer then lined out to shortstop Shell, but the pick off throw back to first bounced off the dugout fence allowing Brittany Faul to score on the play.
Camille Faul then drew a walk to load the bases again and Lejeune rapped a single to score Chapman as the Lady Cats took a 3-1 lead.
Eunice added three more runs in the bottom of the fourth as eight Lady Cats faced DeRidder pitcher Syndey Gipson.
Camille Faul reached on an error to open the inning and scored on a one-out single by Blair Fuselier.
Brittany Fall advanced on a fielder’s choice bunt and Brittany Faul slammed a double to plate Fuselier and Fall as the Lady Cats grabbed a 6-1 lead.
DeRidder scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning to close the gap to 6-4, but the Lady Dragons could not get any closer as Lejeune and the Lady Cats’ defense stiffened.
Gibson lined a double down the third base line and Hollie Buxton reached on an outfield error.
Gibson scored on Westfall’s single and Buxton crossed home plate on a sacrifice by Taylor Townsend.
The three-run rally was capped off by Shell’s double to drive in Westfall, but none of the final seven Lady Dragons reached base.
Eunice batted through the order in the bottom of the fifth inning to seal the win for the Lady Cats.
Camille Faul singled, pinch hitter Ashley McElroy was hit by a pitch and Fuselier singled to load the bases.
Brittany Fall singled to score Faul and Hebert singled to push in McElroy for an 8-4 advantage.
Brittany Faul connected on her second double of the game to score Fuselier and Fall as the Lady Cat bats continued to scorch the DeRidder defense.
Eunice added two more insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth when Andrea Kramer walked and scored on single by Fuselier.
Camille Faul singled and scored the final run of the game on a single by Fall.
Lejeune picked up the win as she allowed four runs on four hits, striking out five with no walks.
“She did a good job,” Deshotel said of his pitcher. “She gave up a few hits in the middle of the game, but after we gave her that big lead she was money.”
Gibson suffered the loss as she allowed 16 hits, striking out four and walking four.
Brittany Faul was 2-for-4 with two doubles and five RBI, while Fuselier and Brittany Chapman both went 3-for-4 to lead the Lady Cats.
“We hit the ball well and we got the timely hits with people on base,” Deshotel said. “Brittany Faul had two big doubles and had five RBI. Her hits came at the right time.”