Fighting chance

ALEXANDRIA -- Down 5-1 heading into their final at bat, the Sacred Heart Lady Trojans picked up two runs to give themselves a fighting chance for a comeback against Class 5A powerhouse Alexandria Senior High.
However, the late rally fell just a little short as the Lady Trojans fell 5-3 to the Rapides Parish school in a hard fought contest.
Sacred Heart drops to 5-4 on the season with the loss. The Lady Trojans are scheduled to play St. Martinville at home on Monday.
Sacred Heart threatened in the top of the first inning when Karli Fontenot doubled with two outs. Tobi Landry walked and Olivia Hernandez singled to follow, loading the bases. However, Alexandria pitcher Amanda Scarbrock induced a ground ball out to end the at bat.
Sacred Heart hurler Aubrey Foret gave up a lead off base hit in the bottom of the first, but was unable to quell any momentum by the Alexandria hitters, getting the next three batters in order.
An up and down top of the second awaited the Lady Trojans. Alexandria put runners at first and second in the bottom of the second, however, Foret and the Sacred Heart defense shut down any other threats.
The only offense for the Lady Trojans in the top of the third was a single by Fontenot. Alexandria finally got some offense going in the bottom of the third, scoring two runs on three hits, including a double and a triple.
Hernandez doubled in the top of the fourth for Sacred Heart. Despite the opening hit, the Lady Trojans were unable to pick up a single run that inning.
Alexandria gathered their third run of the game in the bottom of that same inning when Jaislyn Merendino doubled, stole third and reached home on a passed ball.
After a scoreless fifth inning by Sacred Heart, Alexandria increased their lead to 5-0 with their at bat in the bottom half of the innning. Erin Stallings doubled and stole third base. Clean-up hitter Cameron Hall did her job, following up Stalling’s double with a two-run blast over the center field wall.
Sensing some offense was needed to climb back into the game, Sacred Heart fired up the bats in the top of the sixth inning to push a single run across. Fontenot picked up her third hit of the game when she tripled to right center field.
A ground out kept her at third base, but not for very long, as Hernandez laced a single to right field, plating Fontenot and cutting the Alexandria lead down to four runs, 5-1.
Foret and the Lady Trojan defense did their job in the bottom of the sixth, holding Alexandria scoreless.
In the top of the seventh, Sacred Heart got back to the plate to make a last ditch effort to tie the game up. Sydney Soileau singled and reached second on a fielder’s choice.
Fontenot doubled home Soileau and moved to third on a Landry single. An infield line out made it two outs. Camille Soileau followed with a single, scoring Fontenot and placed runners at first and second. However, Landry got caught between second and third on a hard hit ball by Elizabeth McDaniel.
Fontenot led all Sacred Heart hitters, going 4 for 4 with two doubles, a triple and an RBI. Hernandez was 3 for 4 with an RBI.
Foret went seven innings on the mound, allowing five runs on 12 hits while striking out four and walking none.