As close as it gets

PINE PRAIRIE -- The Pine Prairie Lady Panthers made a statement that they are a team to contend with in District 5-3A as they eased past the Mamou Lady Demons 6-5 Monday afternoon.
This was the second time that the Lady Panthers have defeated the Lady Demons over the course of five days.
With the win, Pine Prairie improves to 13-9 overall and 6-3 in district play. The Lady Panthers were scheduled to play Eunice on Tuesday and Northwest on the road in a double header today.
Mamou falls to 12-6 on the season and 6-2 in league competition. The Lady Demons were scheduled to play Crowley on Tuesday and Eunice today at home.
The game started slow offensively for both squads, as neither team could put runs across in the first two innings. Pine Prairie did manage to get a runner to third base in the bottom of the first and Mamou put a runner at second in the top of the second, but pitching and defenses prevailed, with each team holding the other scoreless.
Mamou broke the ice in the top of the third when they picked up two runs. Sophie Fritz led things off by drawing a lead off walk.
A wild pitch moved Fritz to second base. Madison Fontenot collected a fielder’s choice that sent Fritz to third and allowed Fontenot to sneak into second base. After a line drive out, Taylor Douget doubled, sending both Fritz and Fontenot to the plate, giving the Lady Demons a 2-0 lead.
That lead would hold until the bottom of the fourth inning, when the Lady Panthers scored two runs to tie the game up. A one out single put Kailey Soileau at first base.
Following a strikeout, Allie Fontenot doubled into right center field plating Soileau. Abbie Fontenot followed with a double of her own, getting sister Allie home for the second run.
Mamou regained the lead in the top of the fifth, garnering a single run. With two outs, Douget reached on a fielder’s choice and reached the plate on a double by Dacia Richard.
Pine Prairie responded in a big way in the bottom half of the fifth inning, scoring three more runs. Kaitlyn Fontenot opened up by reaching on an error.
Maycie Hardy followed with a double that drew a throwing error, scoring Fontenot and allowing Hardy to reach third base. Asia George drew a walk to put runners at first and third.
Jacie McFarlain picked up her first RBI of the game on a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Hardy and pushed George to second base. Soileau doubled to left field, sending George in for the third run of the at bat and put the Lady Panthers up 5-3.
That lead evaporated in the top of the sixth when Mamou produced a duo of runs to create a tie for the second time in the game. Both Lady Demon runs came with two outs, as Sydney Bruney and Fritz scored on a Pine Prairie error.
The final and winning run of the contest came in the bottom of the seventh. Hardy singled to lead off the at bat for the Lady Panthers. She reached third base after a single off the bat of George and another Lady Demon error.
With runners at first and third and nobody out, Hardy found home plate on a wild pitch to end the game.
Allie Fontenot went 2 for 3 with two doubles to lead Pine Prairie. Hardy, George, Abbie Fontenot and Soileau all had two hits apiece.
Teralyn Fontenot was 2 for 4 to lead Mamou at the plate.