Moving on

GONZALES -- The Sacred Heart Lady Trojans will be moving on to the state quarterfinals for the third time in the last five years as they slid past the Ascension Christian Lady Lions 7-3 Tuesday afternoon.
With the win, Sacred Heart improves to 11-13 on the year and will face St. Frederick on the road in Monroe in the third round of the playoffs on Saturday. Game time is set for 1 p.m.
Sacred Heart got off to a great start picking up two runs in the top of the first inning. Lead off batter Karli Fontenot singled to get the ball rolling.
After a strikeout, Tobi Landry ripped the first pitch she saw deep over the center field wall to give the Lady Trojans the early lead.
Starting Sacred Heart pitcher Aubrey Foret got all three of Ascension Christian’s batters to fly out in the bottom of the first inning, thus preserving the Lady Trojan advantage.
Emilyse Bergeron drew a walk to lead things off in the top of the second inning. However, Bergeron remained at first base when Sacred Heart failed to move her forward.
The Lady Lions managed to get a two out base hit from Corin Waguespack in the bottom of the second inning, but Foret and the Lady Trojan defense came up with the final out to strand her at the bag.
Sacred Heart’s third at bat saw the Lady Trojans increase their lead by one run. Sydney Soileau doubled and crossed the plate on an Olivia Hernandez single, putting the “Ladies of Troy” up by a count of 3-0.
Foret blanked Ascension Christian in the bottom of the third inning, setting up more offensive fireworks for Sacred Heart in the top of the fourth. The big inning for the Lady Trojans began when Bergeron led off with a single.
Following a strikeout for the first out, Natalie Doucet singled pushing Bergeron to second base. Fontenot’s single plated Bergeron and put runners at first and second once again.
Soileau continued the hit parade, singling in Doucet and moved Fontenot to third base. A ground ball to Lady Lion third baseman Layla Thompson recorded the second out of the inning, but also scored Fontenot and moved Soileau to second base.
Hernandez completed the scoring when she singled home Soileau, putting the Lady Trojans up 7-0.
Being the No. 4 ranked team, Ascension Christian did not go away quietly. The Lady Lions produced a run in the bottom half of the fourth when Madison Gatreau went yard for a solo home run.
The top of the fifth produced two base runners for Sacred Heart, but did not produce any runs. Bergeron walked and two outs later Fontenot singled. A walk issued to Soileau loaded the bases for the Lady Trojans, however Sacred Heart could not capitalize on the situation.
The Lady Lions could not produce any runs in the bottom of the fifth. Nevertheless, after holding the Lady Trojans scoreless in the top of the sixth, Ascension Christian made a run in the bottom of the sixth.
In that at bat, both Layla Thompson and Hallie Dupre showed off their power, blasting home runs to cut the Sacred Heart lead down to 7-3.
The Lady Trojans went up and down in order in the top of the seventh, giving the Lady Lions one more opportunity to try and get even.
That opportunity caused some anxious moments for Sacred Heart as Ascension Christian was able to load the bases with two outs. But, once again, Foret and the Lady Trojan defense was up to the task getting a fly ball out to end the game.
Hernandez went 3 for 4 to lead Sacred Heart at the plate. Landry and Bergeron were 2 for 3, while Camille Soileau, Sydney Soileau and Fontenot were all 2 for 4.