Lady Jays lose battle with Pine Prairie

PINE PRAIRIE – The Lady Jays gave Pine Prairie all it could handle before the Lady Panthers grabbed a 2-0 win over St. Edmund Wednesday.
Pine Prairie (15-0), the top-ranked team in the Class 3-A power rankings, limited the Lady Jays to six hits in the defensive battle.
St. Edmund (7-8), the No. 11 team in Class 1-A, threatened in the top of the first when Heidi Bieber and Kelli Richard both singled and Kasey Lafleur reached on a fielder’s choice but no Lady Jay scored.
Pine Prairie’s first threat came in the bottom of the second when Shaina Boutte walked but could not advance.
Lady Jay Sydney Thibodeaux singled with two outs in the top of the third, but could not advance.
Pine Prairie grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the inning when Jacie McFarlain advanced on an error and scored on Julia Chaddrick’s RBI.
St. Edmund responded as Lafleur singled in the top of the fourth and Gabby Fontenot reached on a fielder’s choice, but again the Lady Panther defense held.
Bieber walked in the top of the fifth, while Richard singled and Lafleur reached on a fielder’s choice in the top of the next inning but Pine Prairie kept the Lady Jays off the board.
The Lady Panthers pushed ahead 2-0 with a run in the top of the fifth as McFarlain reached on another St. Edmund error and scored on a throwing miscue.
St. Edmund’s final threat came in the top of the seventh when Maggie Larriviere singled but a double play ended the game.
Ortego earned the win for the Lady Panthers as she struck out three, walked one and scattered six hits.
Richard went 2-for-3, while Beiber (1-for-2), Thibodeaux (1-for-3), Lafleur (1-for-3) and Larriviere (1-for-3) recorded the other Lady Jay hits.
Lafleur was handed the loss as she struck out four, walked one and allowed five hits.
Chaddrick went 2-for-3 to lead the Lady Panthers, while Sarah Tate (1-for-3), Boutte (1-for-2, BB) and Allie Fontenot (1-for-3) also rapped hits.