District Champs!!

PINE PRAIRIE -- What a difference three weeks makes.
Just 21 days ago, the Crowley Ladies were putting the touches on 3-0 win over the Pine Prairie Lady Panthers. In that game, Pine Prairie managed only three hits and gave up three home runs, bringing the Lady Panthers their first loss in district competition.
Fast forward to Tuesday afternoon. With each team sporting one loss apiece and the championship on the line, Pine Prairie came out and did exactly what was needed on the mound and at the plate as they cruised past Crowley in a 10-0 five inning win to secure the District 5-3A crown for 2018.
The Lady Panthers made the adjustments needed at the plate, collecting 11 hits and putting the ball in play enough to force four crucial Crowley errors.
On top of that, senior hurler Karli Ortego was masterful on the mound for Pine Prairie. Ortego went the distance in a run-rule shortened game, allowing only three hits by the Ladies, while striking out eight and not issuing a single walk.
With the win, the Lady Panthers are now 29-3 on the season and were scheduled to play at Pineville on Wednesday in a pre-playoff tune-up game. Pine Prairie will learn where they will land in the post-season bracket today when the LHSAA releases the softball playoff pairings.
“When your health comes back and the more you learn, the better you see things,” stated a jubliant Pine Prairie head coach Woody Harvey. “This squad, even though as young as they are, came with a different mind set to this game. They were very, very pumped and were ready to play.”
“These girls showed the adjustments that we talked about leading up to this game,” Harvey continued. “Karli (Ortego) did a phenomenal job. To face those hitters on that team and to do what she did was an extrodinary effort. Our focus for the playoffs is to continue doing what we have been doing all season long and just be ready to play.”
The runs came early for the Lady Panthers. Ortego got the first two Crowlely hitters down in order in the top of the first, gave up a double, and then worked her way out of trouble by striking out the clean up hitter for the Ladies. That allowed the vaunted Pine Prairie offense to showcase their talent at the plate.
With one out in the bottom of the first, Maycie Hardy doubled to start the ball rolling for the Lady Panthers. Tori Johnson ripped a single to left-center field, plating Hardy.
Right fielder Abby Fontenot followed with a double of her own to score Johnson. Asia George reached on an error, pushing Fontenot to third base. A perfect ground out to the right side of the infield off of the bat of Brianna Wall moved Fontenot across the plate for the third and final run of the inning.
Crowley was able to get another runner on base in the top of the second on a one-out error by the Lady Panther defense. However, a nifty double play by Hardy on a tag and throw to first base ended any threat the Ladies may have had going.
Pine Prairie threatened in the bottom of the second, but could not push the run across, leaving the game at 3-0 heading into the third inning of play.
Ortego sat Crowley down in order in the top of the third, giving the Lady Panther offense another chance to put runs on the board.
In the bottom of the third, Hardy was issued a lead off walk and touched the rest of the bases on a triple to the right-center field gap off of the bat of Johson. A ground out to short stop with Fontenot at the plate was deep enough to score Johnson and give Pine Prairie a commanding 5-0 lead.
Ortego struck out three of the four Crowley batters faced in the top of the fourth, putting the Lady Panthers on offense once again. And once again, Pine Prairie answered the bell.
With one out, Kailey Soileau was hit by a pitch and took first base. Lead off hitter Jacie McFarlain, who had been silent all game long, produced a run by smashing a double off of the bottom of the center field wall. That run moved the Lady Panther lead to 6-0.
The Ladies put forth their best chance to put a run on the board in the top of the fifth inning. A lead off double and a sacrifice bunt put a runner at third base with one out. Ortego fanned the next batter, and a diving catch on a pop up behind the plate by Kaitlin Robinson killed the Crowley momentum.
Pine Prairie came into the bottom of the fifth needing just five runs to put the game away and seal the title. The Lady Panthers produced that and more.
Johson led off with a single and was followed by a free pass issued to Fontenot. A passed ball moved the two runners up long enough to score on a double by Asia George.
A fly ball to short left field produced the first out. An infield single by Allie Fontenot put George in a run-down situation between second and third. However, a throwing error by the Crowley third baseman during the run down allowed George to score and Allie Fontenot to reach third base.
Kailey Soileau was issued an intentional walk and moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt from Robinson. With runners at second and third, McFarlain delivered the knockout punch, singling to left field and plating Fontenot for the tenth and final run of the game.