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All-Parish Softball team
DENHAM SPRINGS - The Livingston Parish News sponsored event allowed the coaches to gather and select an All-Parish first and second team, an MVP, Best Hitter, Best Defensive Player, Coach of the Year, along with honorable mentions. A pair of Live Oak players garnered two individual awards, as junior catcher Tori Bankston was named the parish's "Best Hitter," while fellow senior teammate Natalie Fernandez was chosen as "Best Defensive Player."
Bankston hit .341 with four home runs and 22 RBI's. She was also excellent defensive player as well with 149 put-outs and 26 assists from behind the plate. Fernandez, who signed with the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, anchored the Lady Eagles' defense from the shortstop position. She had 41 put-outs and 75 assists. Fernandez however, could swing the bat as well, with a .417 average and 10 RBI's, to go along with 26 stolen bases.
Both Bankston and Fernandez were named to the All-Parish first team as well, along with LOHS junior teammate Brooke Ort, who was one of five outfielders chosen. Ort batted .250 with eight runs batted in and 13 steals, while recording 24 put-outs in the outfield.
Second team honorees included three outfielders, Albany's Kayla Hano (.375, 26 RBI's), Springfield's Lizz O'Neal (.272, 12 SB) and Denham Springs' Alexis Gremillion; four infielders, Doyle's Lizzy Padgett (.396 avg.), Denham's Alyssa Kennedy, Maurepas' Victoria Hunt and Live Oak's Kayla Craft, a pair of pitchers, Denham Springs' Madison Vige and Holden's Haley Grantham (19-3, 1.72 ERA, .392 avg.) and two catchers, Walker's Hali Westmoreland and DSHS' Megan Monk.
Honorable Mentions were Albany's Breann Hart and Nicki Wheat; Springfield's Hillary Clark and Christina Prevost; Maurepas' Carli Fontenot; Walker's Devyn Rabalais, Madison Spangler and Chy'na Mansur; Doyle's Madison Fontenot; Live Oak's Sarah Anthony and Sally Trammell; French Settlement's Lauren Hodges and Emily Hutson and Denham Springs' Lauren Russell.
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Big time game for
Live Oak’s Lockhart
WESSON, Miss. -
Former Live Oak
catcher Lakin
Lockhart may have
been found herself a
little ways from
Watson at Copiah
Lincoln Community
College, but it
didn't take long for
her to feel right at
home behind the
plate.
Although her Lady
Wolves ended their
season at the
National Junior
College Region 23
Tournament, they did
have something to be
proud of at the
tourney in Clinton,
Miss., as Co-Lin
spanked No. 1 ranked
LSU-Eunice to stay
alive. Co-Lin,
which had lost its
first-round game to
Gulf Coast 2-0,
ended up being
eliminated by state
rival school Pearl
River, 8-2.
The Lady Wolves,
which finished
fourth in the
tournament, ended
their season with a
30-18 overall
record. The
5-foot-8 Lockhart,
who began the season
splitting time at
the catcher, ended
up the Lady Wolves'
full-time plate
protector, even
catching both
games of a
doubleheader.
In 151 official
at-bats on the year,
Lockhart hit .304
with eight doubles,
one home run and 25
runs batted it. She
also drew 14 walks
and scored 25 times.
She had an on-base
percentage of .358.
In the win over
LSU-Eunice, Co-Lin
erased a 2-0 deficit
with six runs in the
top of the sixth
inning. Lockhart and
teammate Dee Dee
Walker ignited the
rally by drawing
back-to-back walks
to start the inning.
Walker scored on a
single by Monea
Cameron, while
Lockhart tied the
game at 2-all when
she crossed the
plate off a ground
out to short by
Haley Sones.
Co-Lin's Holli Smith
then put the Lady
Wolves ahead with a
two-RBI single,
which was later
matched by pinch
hitter Erka Ruthland
with her two-run
double. Co-Lin
added an insurance
run in the seventh,
thanks to a single
to left by Lockhart
and later an RBI
single by Cameron to
score Lockhart.
Lockhart has one
more year of
eligibility at
Co-Lin before
deciding if she
wants to continue
her athletic career
at a four-year
school.
Hat
trick MVP for Live Oak star
PINEVILLE -
While her future team,
the University of
Louisiana at Lafayette,
was
in the midst of capturing the
NCAA first-round regional
softball tournament at LSU,
former
Live
Oak standout Natalie Fernandez
was showing her worthiness of
being a Lady Ragin' Cajun
signee. Fernandez earned
one of the Most Valuable Player
honors at the Louisiana High
School Coaches Association
All-Star doubleheader.
Fernandez, who drove in three
runs and scored twice, helped
guide the East squad to a 3-1
win over the West on Friday and
then a 2-1 squeaker on Saturday.
Both games were played at Lady
Wildcat Coca-Cola Field on the
campus of Louisiana College.
While Fernandez drove in all
three of the East's runs with a
bases-loaded triple in Game 1,
she scored the tying run in Game
2 on a bases-loaded chopper to
the left side off the bat of
hometown product Kari Kelone of
Pineville. Fernandez had
gotten aboard on an infield hit
off the pitcher's glove.
The strong pitching was evident
over the weekend, as both teams
combined for only five hits in
the final game, with the East
managing just one hit, but
picked up the win. While
Patterson earned the victory in
Game 2, Prophet Gaspard of St.
Thomas More suffered the loss
for the West. Patterson
was also the winning pitcher in
Game 1, allowing just one hit
with six strikeouts in the first
three innings. Pope John
Paul II's Laura Ricciardone, who
is headed for Harvard, tossed
the middle two frames, while
Ouachita Christian's Grace
Thaxton pitched the final two to
earn the save.
With the game scoreless after
two and a half innings in Game
1, West Ouachita's Hannah
Laborde led off the East's half
of the third with a double to
left. With one out first-baseman
Kari Kalone of Pineville single
and then Claiborne Christian's
Kristie Hines walked to load the
bases for Fernandez.
Fernandez, the District 5-5A
co-MVP, smashed a bases-clearing
triple to right-centerfield.
Gaspard, who started on the
mound for the West, suffered the
loss.
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Live Oak moves toward
showdown, Denham toward elimination
WATSON - It was a battle
Thursday for district and playoff positioning between
two teams led by two college-bound senior shortstops.
The outcome was determined when one of those star
players scored and the other didn't. But the
difference maker for both key moments of Live Oak's 2-0
softball win over Denham Springs was a freshman
infielder. Second baseman Brooke Morris did it
first with her bat and then with her glove and arm.
Morris drove in shortstop and future ULL Lady Cajun
Natalie Fernandez in the bottom of the third inning with
an RBI single up the middle. The freshman later scored
herself on a followup RBI single through the same gap by
catcher Tori Bankston. On defense,
 Morris fielded
a grounder in the top of the fourth inning with the
bases loaded and got the throw home in time to stop McNeese-bound Lady Jacket Katie Roux from scoring.
To punctuate her banner day, she got the assist in the
game's last out to snuff Denham's only other significant
threat in the final three innings. The win lifted
the Lady Eagles, 24-6, to 6-3 in District 5-5A play,
good enough to stay in a tie with Zachary for first
place and setting up a final game showdown for all the
marbles at Live Oak Tuesday afternoon at 4:30 p.m.
"I've thought since the
beginning of the year that Live Oak and Zachary would be
the deciding game in this district race," Live Oak Coach
Michelle Morris said. Both schools moved up from
Class 4A this season and have displaced some of the
perennial contenders, including a Denham Springs squad
that reached the state tournament last season, but is
unlikely to qualify for the playoffs this year after
dropping to 3-6. The Lady Yellow Jackets, 16-14 overall,
are 17th in the unofficial state power ratings, but
softball is the only sport not to use those ratings to
determine the 32 teams that will qualify for a playoff
berth. Instead, the ultra-tough 5-5A will likely send
four teams to the playoffs, with the fifth and sixth
place squads staying home.
"We'd have to win our
last game and then would need some outside help," Denham
Springs Coach David Bourque said of his team's playoff
possibilities. Denham Springs had a better time of
things in the second meeting against Live Oak. In round
one the Lady Jackets were embarrassed in a 10-0 loss.
Thursday losing pitcher Madison Vige held the powerful
Eagle club to four hits, while her teammates got the
same number off her counterpart Sarah Anthony. Yet
Denham Springs was snakebit with runners in scoring
position. Lauren Russell singled in the second at
bat of the game and stole second base, but was left
stranded there on a ground out to third by catcher
Meghan Monk to end the at-bat.
Fernandez led off the
first for Live Oak with her first of two singles,
 but
was also stranded after reaching second on a fielder's
choice when a grounder to short by Sally Trammell
finished off that inning. Kayla Craft took a walk
with one out in the bottom of the third to open the door
on Live Oak's one big inning. Fernandez followed with a
fielder's choice that erased Craft and then stole
second. Enter Morris, who was moved up from fifth
to the number two spot this week in hopes of producing
just the kind of results she did. Her smash through the
gap at second brought Fernandez around, while she took
an extra bag after the single during the attempted throw
from centerfield back home. Bankston ripped
another two-out single to the same spot to allow Morris
to finish her trip and give Live Oak the 2-0 lead that
would hold up. A courtesy runner for Bankston, Michelle
Trammel, was caught stealing at second to end the inning
for Denham Springs.
The Lady Jackets tried to
answer in the top of the fourth, loading the bases with
one out before coming up empty. Lauren Russell got
aboard when Anthony hit her with a pitch, then Roux
singled to put the potential tying run on base with no
one out. Meghan Monk kept the baserunner count at two
when her grounder erased Russell at third. A single to
shallow centerfield by Natalie Landry loaded the bases,
but then Lexi Gremillion's grounder to Morris went right
back home where Bankston made the catch on the force
play before Roux could touch the plate with a head-first
slide. It was close, however, and Denham still had the
bases loaded until Anthony struck out Olivia Harriman to
end the inning.
Live Oak missed an
opportunity to pad the lead when Fernandez led off the
sixth with her second hit, then picked up her second
stolen base of the game. Morris sacrifice bunted her
successfully to third, but a squeeze play went awry when
Bankston failed to make contact with the ball and
Fernandez was trapped in a rundown for an eventual tag
at third by Alyssa Kennedy. Live Oak needed three
outs to finish the game, and Anthony picked up the first
two with relative ease on ground out dribblers to short
and third. However, after getting behind 2-0 on the
pitch count, Holly Escue kept the Lady Jackets alive a
little longer with a bloop single to the pitcher's
mound, barely beating out Anthony's throw to first.
Escue then took second on a wild pitch before a grounder
to Morris by Savanah Duval finished the game.
Denham Springs was
scheduled to travel to Mount Carmel Friday for a
non-district makeup game before wrapping up the season
at home Tuesday against Central.
Denham000 000 0 - 0 4 0
Live Oak002 000 x - 2 4 0
WP - Sarah
Anthony. LP - Madison Vige.
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Live Oak fights back into
title picture
WALKER - Live Oak's Lady Eagles voted themselves back on the island  Thursday in the latest episode of high school softball's hit show, "Survivor 5-5A." It really was a hit show too as the Lady Eagles pounded out nine hits against an ailing Walker staff on the way to a convincing 7-3 road win. Coupled with St. Joseph's Academy's 3-2 victory over Denham Springs in Baton Rouge, the Lady Eagles moved into a second place tie with the Catholic High sister school at 4-3. Zachary is one game in front of the pack at 5-2, but must come to Live Oak Thursday in what could become a pivotal showdown for a district championship. Live Oak has control of its destiny as long as it continues winning. Walker, meanwhile, is now in desperation mode at 2-5: One more loss might be enough to dig a hole too deep for the defending district champions to overcome.
Hitting, it seems, won't be a problem for either team. Walker had plenty of opportunities Thursday with seven hits against Sarah Anthony, who was effective when she had to be, but also got behind hitters in the count often, giving up four walks and allowing a run to score on a wild pitch, while fanning three. Walker started number two pitcher Devyn Rabalais, who tried to play through an illness before giving way in a disastrous third inning to regular ace Kaylee Guidry, who has been throwing in relief in recent games after going out with a back injury.
Live Oak climbed out of a 2-0 hole with four runs in that inning, then added one more in the fourth and two in the fifth for a 7-2 lead. Walker took advantage of a Live Oak error and a passed ball in the bottom of the seventh to score for the last time on a fielder's choice, but the home team's cause was all but lost by then as the LadyCats wound up exiting innings twice with the bases loaded and leaving a total of 11 runners on the bags.
"This district is the best in the state," Live Oak Coach Michelle Morris said. "It has the best pitching and the best hitting, and I think all six teams deserve to be in the playoffs. It's disheartening to realize that two quality teams will probably be left out." Live Oak and Zachary moved up from 4A to 5A this season, joining a district already known for powerhouses. Walker won that district last season, but was upset in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Denham Springs made a run all the way to the state tournament, as did Live Oak in 4A. Walker Coach Kristy Saltaformaggio agreed with Morris. "In this district, any day could be anyone's day," she said. "Unfortunately for us, every coach has told me they play their best when they play us."
Walker started out hot with two runs on two hits and an error in the first inning. Codi Covington doubled Anthony's first pitch to the centerfield wall, Rabalais bunted safely with one out to put runners at the corners and Covington came home on a wild pitch that advanced pinch runner Kortney Lee to second. Lee moved to third on a fielder's choice grounder by Guidry, then Taylor Fuchs brought home Lee on an infield smash that was too hot for second baseman Brooke Morris to handle cleanly.
Live Oak got those runs back and more in the third when ULL-bound senior shortstop Natalie Fernandez doubled to the wall and Rabalais walked Brooke Ort and Tori Bankston to load the bases with no outs. That brought Guidry to the mound as Rabalais moved to third. However, Sally Trammell produced a two-RBI double to tie the game and later in the inning, with two outs, Kaylie Hansen doubled home Bankston and Trammell for a 4-2 lead. Walker tried to answer in the bottom of the frame, but came up short after loading the bases on two walks and another error off a grounder by Fuchs, who beat out Morris' throw after she slipped. Anthony got out of the inning when Linzey Cifreo lined another to Morris, who made the play this time to close the book on the Walker threat. Live Oak added another run in the fourth with a two-out rally started off by a grapefruit hit by Brooke Ort. A walk to Bankston set up Trammell for her second hit and third RBI of the game.
The final two runs for the visitors came in the fifth inning when Anthony beat out the throw on her grounder to third to lead off with a single. Pinch runner Michelle Trammell took second on an attempted sacrifice bunt with one out by Kailey Gerage, who was safe on first when Guidry fielded the bunt, then attempted to gun down Trammell, who beat the tag. Guidry then fielded a bunt by Kayla Kraft, but then lost her footing and was unable to make a throw. With the bases loaded, Fernandez put her sacrifice fly too shallow to advance a runner, but then Ort singled home two runs before Craft ended the inning when she got nailed at third on the play attempting to take an extra base. Live Oak didn't need any more. The Lady Eagles allowed Walker one sliver of hope when a communications breakdown allowed leadoff batter Covington aboard after an infield popup to start the 7th. Hali Westmoreland then walked and both runners then moved into scoring position on a passed ball.
When Rabalais put a grounder in play to third, Craft did an excellent job of staring down the baserunners before gunning down the runner at first for the initial out. Live Oak traded a meaningless run for the second out on another grounder to third. Fuchs, who hit her third hot grounder of the game to second, found Morris waiting for it this time as the freshman gloved it and calmly flipped the ball to Gerage at first for the final out.
Live Oak004 120 0 - 7 9 3
Walker200 000 1 - 3 7 1
WP - Sarah Anthony. LP - Devyn Rabalais.
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Live Oak pummels Denham in 5A battle
By Sam Muffoletto
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| Live Oak pinch runner Meagan Louviere is called out attempting to advance to second base as Denham Springs shortstop Katie Roux covers. Denham had to deal with a lot of Live Oak base runners on the day the Lady Eagles dominated, 10-0. (News photo by David Normand)
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DENHAM SPRINGS - Senior Kaylie Hansen went 2-for-3 with a triple, a double and four runs batted in as Live Oak crushed Denham Springs 10-0 in a key District 5-5A softball game Tuesday afternoon at North Park.
The Lady Eagles, which bounced back from a 1-0 league loss to Central the previous Thursday, improved to 2-1 in district and 20-4 overall. Live Oak also entered the contest with an unofficial No. 3 power-point ranking. Denham Springs is behind the 8-ball in district play, as the Lady Jackets slipped to 1-3. Denham Springs, which entered the contest with a No. 19 ranking, had a three-game winning streak snapped as well, falling to 15-10 overall.
Live Oak didn't waste any time jumping on DSHS sophomore pitcher Madison Vige', as the Eagles scored five runs on six hits in the top of the first inning, highlighted by a two-out bases-loaded triple by Hansen.
Four of the first five Live Oak players to stand at the plate came through with singles, beginning with a lead-off base-hit by Natalie Fernandez.
After Brooke Ort sacrifice bunted her over into scoring position, Tori Bankston made it 1-0 with an RBI single to centerfield.
Brooke Morris then stepped to the plate and blooped a 1-2 pitch for a single to centerfield, and then the Lady Jackets loaded the bases when Kailey Gerage was hit by a pitch. Hansen found herself down 1-2 in the pitch-count when she ripped her triple down the third-base line.
Winning pitcher Sarah Anthony then helped her own cause when she jumped on the first pitch and drove in Hansen with a single to shallow left field.
The five-run cushion was much bigger than Anthony would need, as the senior pitcher limited Denham Springs to just one hit in six innings of work.
DSHS's Natalie Landry collected the Lady Jackets' lone base-hit with a leadoff single to left in the bottom of the second. At one point thereafter, Anthony retired 11 of 12 batters, with the lone Lady Jacket reaching on a walk, one of two given up by Anthony.
Sophomore Brooke Gonzales came on in relief in the seventh and although two Denham batters reached one on a walk and the other on an error, a pick-off play eliminated the first base-runner, while a game-ending strikeout left the latter stranded to preserve the shutout.
Live Oak, which banged out 13 hits, added two runs on three hits in both the third and sixth innings and an unearned run on one hit in the seventh.
"I've said all year long, when we're on, we're on," said LOHS head coach Michelle Morris. "And we were on big.
"In the Central game, we lacked that good pitch selection or good decision making," said Morris. "In this game, we roped her (Vige') in the beginning. Anytime you can have a little confidence builder in the first inning, that helps your pitcher. And she (Anthony) was on today and did a beautiful job.
"Denham's hitters were putting the bat on the ball constantly, but we had a couple of dynamic plays again (defensively) that I liked," said Morris.
"Some of the things we've been practicing the past couple of weeks is pressure hitting and timely hitting," said Morris. "That's been one of our focuses, to score your runner, whether they're on second or third. Put two hits back-to-back. When we get down in the count, that's where we need to be mentally focused in needing just on one to hit. And I think we did that today."
Hansen's RBI double in the third inning came with two outs as well, as she drove home Morris, who had singled with one out and then bunted over by Gerage.
Anthony followed by drawing a base on balls on a 3-2 pitch, while Kayla Craft followed with a 2-2 RBI single which scored Hansen, but courtesy runner Michelle Trammell was caught between third and home and tagged out to end the inning.
Anthony, who was 3-for-3 at the plate along with a walk, kicked off the two-run sixth by reaching on an infield single.
Fernandez also had a infield single and then with two outs, Bankston collected her second hit and second RBI with a single through the hole at shortstop to make it 9-0.
Anthony drove in Live Oak's final run with a two-out RBI single to center in the top of the seventh. Michelle Trammell, who reached on an error to leadoff the frame, scored.
While Live Oak time and time again collected that clutch two-out base-hit, Denham Springs wasn't as fortunate, as the Lady Jackets stranded one base-runner in scoring position in the first inning and then two in scoring position in the second.
"We did a good job of putting the ball in play and not striking out, but we didn't get anything hit into the outfield," said DSHS first-year head coach David Bourque. "She (Anthony) did a great job of getting us to just put it on the infield and they made the plays. They (LOHS) played defense with consistency. A team like that, you can't give them an inch.
"And it's was pretty tough in the first inning," said Bourque. "We could have gotten out of there just one run down, but the ball goes off my third-baseman's glove, which eventually leads to more runs.
"We can't play like that, especially against a great team like Live Oak," said Bourque. "They'll make it hurt.
"We've been in a bunch of close ones," said Bourque. "At one point, we had lost five of seven and four had gone extra innings. We just have to continue to play well, stay together and get those things to fall our way.
Live Oak 5020021 - 10132
Denham 0000000 - 011
W - Sarah Anthony. L - Madison Vige'.
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Live Oak: Still top of the class
By Sam Muffoletto
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| Live Oak third baseman Kayla Craft tags out Walker base runner Codi Covington as she tries to steal third base for the third out of the fourth inning. The Lady Eagles defeated the LadyCats 1-0 at Eagle Softball Park Tuesday, with Craft scoring the winning run. (News photo by David Normand)
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WATSON - Whatever question marks may have been attached to Live Oak's move up from Class 4A to 5A are quickly disappearing.
The Lady Eagles' softball team, which had been a dominating force in their old stomping grounds of District 6-4A and a regular each year at the State Softball Tournament, have already begun to firmly plant their cleats in District 5-5A.
After opening league play with a resounding 12-2 thumping of St. Joseph's Academy on the road last Thursday, Live Oak shifted gears from an offensive attack to a combination of pitching and defense to nip defending district champions Walker 1-0 Tuesday on its home turf at Live Oak Ball Park.
In a battle of two top senior pitchers, Live Oak's Sarah Anthony won the duel over Walker's Kaylee Guidry with a one-hit shut out.
The Lady Eagles, fresh off a three-game sweep at the always competitive Sulphur Tournament this past weekend, improved to 15-3 overall.
Walker, which has allowed just five runs in its first 20 games, lost for only the second time this season, as the LadyCats dropped to 18-2 and 1-1 in league play.
Although LOHS head coach Michelle Morris continues to be blessed with excellent pitching, she points to much-improved bats as the key to their excellent start to the season.
"I feel like the difference has been hitting," said Morris, whose squad banged out 12 hits against St. Joseph's Academy, but then had to rely on some timely hits against Guidry to push across the game's only run. "We've gone against two different types of pitching in the past two tournaments in Alexandria and (last weekend) in Sulphur. We like playing a different variety (of teams), which I feel has helped us keep our focus on what are we going to do instead of who are we playing. "We knew going into the district that we've played everyone except St. Joe before," said Morris. "We came up stroking the ball against St. Joe and our focus was to continue that. But we knew we weren't going to get in as many hits in this game. We knew it was going to be a pitching duel, but we thought our pitch-selection was our focus.
"When we put the two hits together back-to-back (in the third inning), it was because of pitch selection," said Morris.
Live Oak 1
Walker 0
Sophomore Kayla Craft may bat in the 9-hole, but she looked like a top-of-the-order hitter when she jumped on the first pitch with two outs in the bottom of third and doubled to shallow right field.
Senior Natalie Fernandez showed why she's in the leadoff spot, as she battled off a 2-2 pitch and punched a single down the line past third to drive in what turned out to be the game-winning run.
"We feel like this season that we have nine hitters, instead of say six and then trail-off of the final three," said Morris. "She (Craft) is coming off an excellent weekend in Sulphur (tournament) and just continued that hitting streak."
The rest was left up to senior pitcher Sarah Anthony, who was in command of her pitches all afternoon, allowing just one hit with a walk and six strikeouts.
After retiring the first nine batters she faced, Anthony gave up a leadoff bunt-single by Codi Covington to open the fourth.
After striking out 2-hole hitter Haily Westmoreland, Covington advanced into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Devyn Rabalais.
Opposing pitcher Kaylee Guidry rallied from an 0-2 pitch-count to draw a base-on-balls, but on the final pitch, Covington attempted to steal third but was thrown out by LOHS junior catcher Tori Bankston.
Anthony proceeded to sit down the next nine battlers she faced to close out the win for the Lady Eagles.
"It was big win because it was a game between two big well-rounded teams," said Morris. "This wasn't just a game between two good pitchers, even though it may look like that in the books. It was not only good pitching to work around good batters, but good defensive behind it.
"I felt like our defense had about three very good plays that kept us in the game," said Morris. "It kept us focused."
Along with the defensive play by Bankston, Live Oak left-fielder Kaylie Hansen robbed Walker's Chyna Mansur of a possible extra-base hit with a diving catch to end the LadyCats' at-bat in the third.
Live Oak's Craft was a vacuum cleaner at third, with one particular play that she short-hopped and then fired to first to take away another possible Walker hit.
Other than the two-out turmoil in the bottom of the third, Walker's Guidry had another excellent outing on the mound, allowing just four hits, with no walks and seven strikeouts.
Besides the back-to-back hits by Craft and Fernandez, Guidry gave up a two-out single to right by Anthony, but her courtesy-runner was taken off the base-paths while attempting to steal second.
Fernandez picked up her second hit of the game with a one-out bloop single in the infield in the bottom of the sixth, but she was stranded as Guidry retired Brooke Ort and Tori Bankston to end the inning.
Live Oak returns home today to take on Central, while Walker played host to Denham Springs.
After hosting its own Live Oak Tournament this weekend, the Lady Eagles will travel to North Park on Tuesday to take on Denham Springs, while Walker remains at home to face Zachary.
Walker 000 000 0 - 0 1 0
Live Oak 001 000 x - 1 4 0
W - Sarah Anthony. L - Kaylee Guidry.
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Live Oak 12
St. Joseph's Academy 2
BATON ROUGE - Sophomore Kailey Gerage was 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and two runs batted in, as Live Oak's Lady Eagles made themselves feel at home in District 5-5A with a league-opening 12-2 win over St. Joseph's Academy last Thursday afternoon at Independence Park.
The Lady Eagles moved up from Class 4A to 5A this season.
Senior pitcher Sarah Anthony allowed two runs on just one hit in six innings of work. That lone SJA hit was a solo home run in the bottom of the first. She allowed another single run in the third without the benefit of a hit.
Sophomore pitcher Brooke Gonzales closed out the game for Live Oak, retiring the Redstickers in order in the bottom of the seventh.
Live Oak junior Tori Bankston and senior Sally Trammell got the Lady Eagles off to a 2-0 lead with back-to-back RBI base-hits. Senior Natalie Fernandez, who reached on an fielding error to start the game, scored the first run.
After St. Joseph's Academy sliced the Live Oak lead in half with a solo home run in the bottom-half of the frame by K. Courville, the Lady Eagles erupted for four runs in the second to go up 6-1.
Senior Kaylie Hansen got things started with a bloop single to right, while Anthony sacrifice bunted her over into scoring position.
After both Kayla Craft and Fernandez were hit by pitches, a wild pitch scored Hansen, while moving the other two base-runners over.
Sophomore Kayla Craft then singled in Ort with a base-hit over the pitcher's reach.
With Live Oak up 6-2 through three complete, the Lady Eagles broke the game wide open with four more runs in the top of the fourth.
Bankston kick-started the inning with a roping double to the fence and then moved over to third off the bat of Trammell.
Brooke Morris then squeeze bunted home courtesy runner Michelle Trammell from third, while Gerage stepped up to the plate and cleared the bases with her two-run shot.
Anthony then helped her cause with a triple to right-center and later scored on a pass ball.
After a scoreless fifth and sixth, Live Oak added two last insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Anthony reached on a fielding error, Craft moved her over to second, Fernandez pushed her to third with a ground-out and then Anthony finally scored on a passed ball. Ort scored Live Oak's final run thanks to two more St. Joseph's errors.
Live Oak, which out-hit SJA 11-1, collected two hits from both Bankston and Fernandez, with one of Bankston's hits a double.
Live Oak 240 400 2 - 12 11 0
St. Joseph's 101 000 0 - 2 1 3
W - Sarah Anthony. L - Caroline Sagrera.
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Live Oak erupts
DONALDSONVILLE - Live Oak erupted for four runs on four hits in the top of the sixth inning to pull away from Ascension Catholic for good, as the Lady Eagles toppled Ascension Catholic 9-2 in non-district softball action on the Lady Bulldogs' diamond.
Clinging to a 3-2 lead after five innings, No. 9 hole hitter Courtney Bankston got things started with a leadoff single for Live Oak in the sixth. Kayla Craft then laid down what was supposde to be a sacrifice bunt, but the ACHS second-baseman didn't cover the bag at second, as both Bankston and Craft were aboard safely. An ensuing error on the second-baseman allowed Bankston to score.
Tori Bankston then dew an intentional walk to load the bases and Sally Trammell cleared them with a double to give Live Oak a 7-2 lead.
The Lady Eagles added a pair of insurance runs in the seventh, as Natalie Fernandez singled, stole second and scored when Tori Bankston reached on an error.
Michelle Trammell, pinch-running for Tori Bankston, scored Live Oak's final run on a single by Sally Trammell.
Ascension Catholic got on the board first off eventual winning pitcher Sarah Anthony, as the Lady Bulldogs scored two runs on two hits, with the aid of two Live Oak errors in the bottom of the first.
Live Oak cut the deficit in half in the third with a triple by Fernandez and an RBI single by Craft. The Lady Eagles tied the game with a single run in the fourth with an RBI single by Courtney Bankston and then went ahead 4-3 with an unearned run in the fifth.
Live Oak 001 114 2 - 9 13 3
ACHS 200 000 0 - 2 4 4
WP - Sarah Anthony. LP - n a.
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Live Oak's Anthony heads for Co-Lin
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| Pictured on the front row with Anthony are her parents, David and Vickie Anthony. Standing in the back are (from left) David P. Anthony, brother; Michelle Morris, Live Oak High head softball coach; Tracy McRae, Live Oak High principal; Allen Kent, Co-Lin head softball coach; Tori Anthony, sister; Brittany Knight, Live Oak High assistant softball coach; and Heather Anthony, sister. (News photo by David Normand) |
WATSON - Live Oak infielder and pitcher Sarah Anthony has signed a letter of intent to continue her softball career next year at Copiah-Lincoln Community College.
Anthony has been a key player in Live Oak's successive trips to the state softball tournament, including two runner-up finishes.
"Sarah is a versatile player that has helped the Eagle softball team in the infield and in the pitching circle," head coach Michelle Morris said. "She is a great game day player who rises to each and every challenge."
Anthony, who sports a .358 batting average and a .59 ERA with an 11-5 record on the mound, is likely to continue her multiple roles at the next level, said Co-Lin head coach Allen Kent.
"We are very happy to have Sarah join our program," Kent said. "She is extremely versatile and will be able to help us in several areas. Sarah has good movement and is a very effective pitcher. She gained a lot of confidence last year and should only continue to improve in the circle. She also has a good stick. She played second base when not pitching and is capable of playing a corner position."
Anthony has pitched seven shutouts, including three no-hitters so far heading into her senior season. She has 101 strikeouts. At the plate she has produced 10 RBIs and on the base paths she has seven stolen bases. The Co-Lin Lady Wolves are coming off back-to-back Mississippi state championships and are a perennial top 10 power nationally.
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Live Oak star Fernandez picks ULL
By Sam Muffoletto
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| Live Oak softball star infielder Natalie Fernandez has put her college recruiting behind her heading into her senior season as she signs a letter of intent to play for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Seated next to her for the occasion are her parents Gerald and Judy Fernandez. They are surrounded by (from left) Live Oak assistant coach Britney Knight, principal Tracy McRae, sister Emily Fernandez, grandparents Betty and Justin Bozeman, Live Oak head softball coach Michelle Morris and athletic director Brian Hargroder. |
WATSON - Two-time first-team All State shortstop Natalie Fernandez of Live Oak recently signed a softball scholarship with the University of Louisiana at Lafayette on National Signing Day.
Fernandez helped guide LOHS to the Class 4A state championship game in both her freshman and sophomore seasons, where the Lady Eagles finished state runners-up. Last year as junior, Live Oak's season came to an end in the state semifinals.
Live Oak will participant in Class 5A this upcoming season. Fernandez is coming off another outstanding season both at the plate and in the field. She batted .380, with a .440 slugging percentage last spring, while along with a .456 on-base percentage, she drove in 11 runs and stole 26 bases. Defensively, she had a .879 fielding percentage with 28 put-outs and 66 assists.
In her three-year varsity career so far, Fernandez has a .400 batting average with 29 RBIs, 58 stolen bases and a .914 fielding percentage.
"Natalie has been a joy to coach over the past three years," said LOHS head coach Michelle Morris. "It is a great day to see one of your players work hard to fulfill her goals of playing softball at the next level. Live Oak has had a great success in preparing players for the collegiate level, but it makes it all worth the while to see someone like Natalie to be noted for her dedication."
The coach described her senior star as "a true softball force on the field."
"She makes things happen to fuel the team for continued success, and we expect great things for her upcoming senior season," Morris said.
Along with first-team all-state honors both her sophomore and junior years, Fernandez has been an All-District first-team selection for three years, as well as the league's Most Valuable Player. In the summer, Fernandez plays "select ball" for the Louisiana Patriots.
"Natalie will be a great addition to our group of slappers," said ULL co-head coach Stefni Lotief. "Her ability to compete at the plate and her speed will put additional pressure on defenses."
Stefni and co-head coach Mike Lotief guided the Lady Ragin' Cajuns to a 45-13 overall finish in 2009, including an 18-5 finish in the Sun Belt Conference.
ULL won the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, advanced to the NCAA Regional in Waco, Texas, where they finished 2-2, losing their first and elimination game to Baylor. The Lady Ragin' Cajuns' two NCAA wins came against Northwestern and Texas State.
Natalie is the daughter of Gerald and Judy Fernandez of Watson.
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