Greatness rewarded

It was a banner year for Evangeline Parish high school softball. For the first time in many years, all four of the varsity level squads not only made it to the post-season, but also picked up a least one win in the playoffs.
For that reason, several of these diamond girls took home some individual honors as they were named to their respective all-district squads.
One of those teams with multiple honorees was Sacred Heart in District 5-1A. The Lady Trojans made a big run toward the end of the season and found themselves in the Division IV semi-finals. Sacred Heart completed their year with an overall record of 12-14.
Earning first team selections for the Lady Trojans were pitcher Aubrey Foret, catcher Olivia Hernandez and utility player Tobie Landry.
Foret, a senior, threw 59 innings, striking out 42 and walking 33, all while sporting a 3.68 ERA. Hernandez batted .365 on the year with four doubles and one home run. The junior had 19 RBI and a slugging percentage of .588 and she reached base 50 percent of the time.
Landry, a second baseman by trade, hit .426 with eight doubles and one home run. The junior collected 29 RBI and scored 18 times.
Named to the second team for Sacred Heart were pitcher Camille Fontenot, first baseman Karli Fontenot, third baseman Emilyse Bergeron, and outfielders Sydnie Soileau and Camille Soileau.
Honorable mention selections for the Lady Trojans included Natalie Doucet and Lauren Shipp.
Ville Platte High truly had a season to remember in 2019. The Lady Bulldogs finished the season with an overall record of 10-7. But, more importantly, Ville Platte not only made it to the playoffs for the first time in 10 years, they also won a post-season contest for the first time in 22 years.
The Lady Bulldogs managed to have three players garner first team honors in District 6-2A; pitcher Hanna Monier, outfielder Alyssa Soileau and utility player Kenderlyn Doucet.
Monier, a freshman, held a 4.35 ERA in 12 starts this past season, while striking out 59 batters faced. She also batted .571 with two doubles and three home runs. Soileau, a mainstay in center field for Ville Platte, hit .367 on the year with four doubles and a triple. The sophomore collected 12 RBI and scored 10 runs.
Freshman second baseman, Doucet, batted .364 with four doubles, one triple and came to the plate 13 times. She also had 11 RBI and an on base percentage of .462. Her slugging percentage was .545.
Second baseman Josey Ardoin was a second team selection for the Lady Bulldogs. Garnering honorable mention honors were Madison Monier and Hailey Bordelon.
Mamou made the most of their opportunity in the playoffs, appearing in the Class 3A semi-finals. The Lady Demons ended 2019 with an overall record of 20-9 and earning the No. 7 seed in the post-season.
Picking up first team nods for Mamou in District 5-3A were short stop Madison Fontenot, pitcher Dacia Richard, outfielder Angel Menier and utility player Taylor Douget.
Fontenot hit .519 on the season with 12 doubles, four triples and two home runs. The junior knocked in 19 RBI and scored 34 times while stealing 16 bases.
Richard, a junior, was a force in the circle and at the plate. Richard sported an 11-7 record over 109 innings pitched. Richard also hit .395 on the season with eight doubles, three triples and seven home runs.
Right fielder Menier batted .473 on the season, driving in 23 RBI and scoring 18 runs. The junior had five doubles, two triples and two dingers.
Making second team all-district for the Lady Demons were outfielder Teralyn Fontenot, pitcher Sophia Fritz and third baseman Emily Soileau. Honorable Mention selections included Sydney Bruney, Tierane Thomas and Kaitee Bertrand.
Douget, the Lady Demon’s every day catcher was selected as a utility player after batting .405 with six doubles and five home runs. Douget scored 25 runs and drove in 27 RBI. She only struck out seven times and walked nine times.
Pine Prairie enjoyed a very successful season once again. The Lady Panthers tied for the District 5-3A championship after going 11-3 in league play and 20-12 overall.
Because of their success as a team on the field, Pine Prairie notched four first team all-district spots, including the Most Valuable Player. Earning those spots were third baseman Jacie McFarlain, first baseman Kailey Soileau, pitcher Brianna Wall and utility player Maycie Hardy.
McFarlain, a senior, was named as Co-MVP for the league after she hit .431 on the season with 11 doubles, seven triples and nine home runs. McFarlain collected 43 RBI, scored 48 times and had a slugging percentage of .879. She got on base 46 percent of the time.
Junior first bagger, Soileau, hit .340 on the year with 17 doubles, while plating 33 RBI. Soileau scored 30 runs and her on base percentage was .414. Her slugging percentage was .600.
Wall made her presence known on the field and at the plate. The sophomore hurler was 15-7 on the season with an ERA of 2.83. She struck out 97 batters while also hitting .360 on the year.
Hardy, the everyday second baseman and sometimes pitcher for the Lady Panthers, batted .455 on the season with 15 doubles, two triples and five home runs. The sophomore scored 49 times and had 37 RBI.
Second team picks for Pine Prairie included outfielder Asia George, and utility player Allie Fontenot. Kaitlyn Robinson, Abbie Fontenot and Natalie Soileau were all chosen as honorable mention picks.