Lady Jays advance with win

No. 13 St. Edmund advanced to the regional round of the softball playoffs for the first time since 2011 with a 10-2 win over No. 20 South Cameron on Monday at Lady Jay Field.
St. Edmund (12-8) now travel to No. 4 Mangham (22-8), 11-1 winners over No. 29 Christian Life Academy, for a 5:30 p.m. Friday match-up.
“I am proud of the way the girls are playing,” St. Edmund head coach Ashley Ray said after the win. “We are not perfect on defense but we are scoring runs and playing our best softball at the right time.”
The Lady Tarpons (9-10) threatened in the top of the first when Baleigh Conner walked and Mattie Little reached on a fielder’s choice but neither scored.
The Lady Jays took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Heidi Bieber walked and scored on a triple by Baylee Lafleur.
After Lady Jay pitcher Kasey Lafleur struck out the side in the top of the frame, St. Edmund added three more runs in the bottom of the second inning.
Maddie Andrus singled up the middle and scored on a double from Jada Fontenot, who then scored on a double from Kasey Lafleur.
Lafleur later scored on a passed ball to push the Lady Jays ahead, 4-0.
Heather Bieber singled to open the bottom of the third and scored on a double by Fontenot as the Lady Jays continued to dominate the contest.
South Cameron threatened again in the top of the fourth when Little reached on an error and Sydnee McCall walked, but Lady Jay pitcher Lafleur then struck out two batters to end the inning.
The Lady Jays exploded for four runs in the bottom of the fourth to extend its lead to 9-0.
Constance Fontenot doubled to the centerfield wall and scored on a double to left by Baylee Lafleur, who later scored on a passed ball.
Heather Bieber followed with a single and Maddie Andrus cleared the bases with a towering home run deep over the centerfield fence.
The Lady Tarpons avoided a shutout with two runs in the top of the fifth inning to close the gap to 9-2.
Candice DeBarge reached on an error and scored on a hit by Lexi DeBarge, who scored on a two-out single by Conner.
The Lady Jays added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth inning when Heidi Bieber singled up the middle and scored on a Lady Tarpon fielding error of a hit by Constance Fontenot.
Kasey LaFleur earned the win as she allowed two runs on four hits with nine strikeouts and two walks.
McCall suffered the loss as she allowed 10 runs on 13 hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
Heidi Bieber (2 runs scored), Baylee Lafleur (2 RBI, runs scored), Heather Bieber (2 runs scored, RBI) and Andrus (2-RBI home run) all went 2-for-4.
Jada Fontenot went 2-for-3 with a RBI double, while Kasey Lafleur (RBI double), Jami Lebouef (RBI) and Constance Fontenot (double, RBI) each rapped a hit for the Lady Jays.
Mangham finished the season tied with Ouachita Christian for the District 2-1A title, grabbing key wins over
several Class 4-A teams including West Ouachita, Bastrop and 5-A West Monroe. The Lady Dragons have won nine games in a row.
Mangham opened the playoffs last season with a 3-0 win over Lasalle before falling to False River Academy (10-6). The Lady Dragons were also pushed out in the second round by FRA in 2012, 14-4.