By: TRACEY
JAGNEAUX
Sports Editor
It is hard to believe with the weather we have had lately, but baseball and softball season are here.
On Monday, three parish teams took to the diamond for their first games of the season, with two of those three coming away with wins.
First off, the Sacred Heart Trojans blasted the Crowley Gents 12-0 in a non-district home game. Sacred Heart was scheduled to take on Bunkie on Tuesday and St. Mary’s out of Natchitoches in a three-game series this weekend, weather permitting.
Against Crowley, Sacred Heart picked up two runs in the first inning and five more runs in the second inning, including a three-run homer off of the bat of JT Harper, to go up 6-0.
The Trojans added five more runs in the bottom of the third and finished the game with a ten-run rule in the fifth inning. Wesley Launey and Christian Duplechin were both 2 for 3 to lead Sacred Heart at the plate.
Across the parish, the Pine Prairie Lady Panthers not only picked up their first win of the year, but they also collected their first league win of the season as they blew past the Port Barre Lady Devils 11-1. The Lady Panthers were scheduled to travel to Church Point on Tuesday and Sacred Heart yesterday, weather permitting.
A lead off home run from Jacie McFarlain and a sacrifice fly by Brianna Wall gave the Lady Panthers two runs in the first inning and the early lead. Pine Prairie picked up a single run in the second and four more runs in the fourth inning to take a 6-0 lead.
The Lady Panthers finished the game with a solo run in the fifth and three runs in the sixth. Maycie Hardy was 3 for 4 to lead Pine Prairie.
The Pine Prairie Panther baseball team dropped their first contest of the season, as they fell to the South Beauregard Knights in a 5-4 heartbreaker. The Panthers’ game against Avoyelles Public Charter scheduled for Tuesday was postponed due to weather conditions.
Despite leading 2-1 after six innings of play, the Pine Prairie Panthers surrendered four runs to the Knights in the top of the seventh inning. Pine Prairie tried to mount a comeback in the bottom of the seventh, picking up two runs, but the rally fell just short.