Lady Cats split in district opener

The Lady Bobcats opened District 5-3A competition Tuesday with a doubleheader against two different teams.
Eunice (5-5, 1-1) began the day with an 11-4 win over Port Barre before falling 13-0 to top-ranked Pine Prairie (14-0, 2-0).
Because of the threat of rain today, the Pine Prairie contest was moved up to Tuesday.
The Lady Cats jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first against the Red Devils, as Darrian Fontenot singled and Destiny Edwards walked and they both scored when Mia Lejeune reached on an error.
Amber Arvie tripled to plate Lejeune, while Cassie Thomas reached on another Lady Devil error to push Eunice ahead, 4-0.
Thomas then came home on Morgan Domingue’s single.
Port Barre scored two runs in the bottom of the second inning to close the gap to 5-2.
Emily Stelly walked and Kennedy Aymond reached on a fielder’s choice before the Lady Devil duo scored when the Lady Cats mishandled Anna Deshotel’s hit to right field.
Eunice responded with four runs in the bottom of the frame to push ahead, 9-2.
Fontenot reached on an error and scored when Arvie reached on another Lady Devil error.
Edwards walked and later crossed home plate on Thomas’ fly ball to left field.
Lejeune walked and then scored on Katelyn Joubert’s sacrifice to give the Lady Cats a 8-2 advantage.
Arvie scored the final run of the rally as Domingue reached on the third Lady Devil error of the inning.
Eunice added a run in the bottom of the fourth when Arvie reached on an error, stole second and then advanced on consecutive wild pitches.
Port Barre closed the margin to 10-4 with two runs in the top of the fifth, begun when Deshotel walked, McKenzie Hebert reached on a bunt error and they both scored on a double to center by Hailey Martinez.
Eunice completed the win when Lejeune advanced on a dropped third strike and later scored on Thomas’ hit to right field in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Madison Cormier pitched the first five innings for the Lady Jays as she struck out six and allowed four runs on one hit with two walks and two hitbatsmen.
Arvie pitched two no-hit innings as she struck out tbe final Port Barre batter.
In the finale, Pine Prairie pitcher Karli Ortego threw a one-hitter as she struck out nine and walked one.
With a 1-0 lead after the first two innings, the Lady Panthers exploded for eight runs in the top of the third and later added three more in the fifth to complete the mercy-rule win.
The Lady Cats threatened int the bottom of the first when Lejeune walked and Arvie reached on an error, but neither could advance.
Thomas doubled in the bottom of the fourth for the only Eunice hit of the game.
Pine Prairie finished with 13 runs on 13 hits, led by two doubles by Victoria Johnson and a three-run home run by Sara Tate.
The Lady Cats are scheduled to travel to Ville Platte Tuesday and entertain Northwest Thursday as district action continues.