Split decision

Lady Panthers drop close one to Crowley; finish with share of title
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BROUSSARD -- In a bid to claim the outright District 5-3A championship, the Pine Prairie Lady Panthers’ comeback attempt fell just short as they dropped a 5-4 decision to the Crowley Ladies Monday afternoon.
The game, postponed since last Thursday due to rain, was supposed to take place in Crowley. However, field conditions in the Rice Capitol forced the two schools to move the game to Broussard where the fields are turfed.
The loss to Crowley put both teams at 11-3 in district play and gave both Pine Prairie and the Ladies a share of the league title. This was the second one run game between the two schools, as the Lady Panthers had beaten Crowley 4-3 earlier in the season.
Pine Prairie finishes the year with an overall record of 20-10. The Lady Panthers await their placement in the playoffs, as the LHSAA Softball brackets were to be released yesterday.
Monday’s game started slow for both offenses. Pine Prairie managed to get runners in scoring position in each of the first three innings of play. Crowley did not score any runs in their first at bat of the game, but put together a string of hits to put four runs on the board in the bottom of the second inning.
With one out Kelsey Lasaca reached first base on an error and moved to second when the Lady Panther defense produced another error with Alana Abshire at the plate.
A single off of the bat of Hannah Abshire loaded the bases for the Ladies. Jocelyn Monceaux grounded to Pine Prairie hurler Brianna Wall, who threw it to home to get Lasaca for the second out.
With two outs and the bases still loaded, Phobee Spell doubled, plating both Abshires and Monceaux. Spell came home on a double by Lily Hoffpauir to end the Crowley scoring.
The Lady Panthers finally got on the board in the top of the fifth inning, plating a single run to cut the Ladies’ lead to 4-1. Jacie McFarlain reached on an error and scored with two outs on another error from the Crowley defense.
After holding the Ladies scoreless in the bottom of the fifth, Pine Prairie scraped home another run in the top of the sixth to cut the deficit down to two runs. Wall singled and gave way to courtesy runner Kameron Allen.
An error off the bat of Allie Fontenot put runners at first and second. Following a fly ball out, Kaitlin Robinson grounded to the shortstop, who threw it to second base to get Fontenot on the fielder’s choice.
However, that play allowed Allen to reach third base, where she scored on an error by the Crowley second baseman.
The Ladies responded in the bottom of the sixth collecting a single run; their last run of the game.
In the top of the seventh, the Lady Panther bats came alive, allowing them to score two huge runs to cut down the lead to one, 5-4. Following a pop up to the shortstop, Asia George doubled to the left-center field gap.
McFarlain slapped a ball the opposite way and motored her way to third base for a triple, scoring George. A ground ball from Soileau that snuck into center field was enough to plate McFarlain. Pine Prairie managed two more hits in the inning, but could not find their way to any more points.
Unfortunately for the Lady Panthers, those final two runs would not be enough, as Crowley found away to quell the Pine Prairie comeback attempt and come away with the win.
Asia George and Allie Fontenot were both 3 for 4 at the plate to lead the Lady Panthers on offense. McFarlain finished the game going 2 for 4.