MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / April 28, 1999

LULING – The last three outs are often said to be the toughest to get.

West Ouachita proved that old adage Friday afternoon, scoring twice in the top of the seventh to rally for a 4-3 victory over Hahnville in the softball regionals at West Bank Bridge Park.

The Lady Chiefs (22-7-1) now advance to the state tournament in Alexandria Friday where they will play Sulphur in the quarterfinals.

Sulphur defeated Southwood, 5-4, Friday.

Hahnville, the District 6-5A runner-up, completed its season at 18-8.

Hahnville took a 3-2 lead into the top of the seventh before Laura Goodling led off for West Ouachita with a single to right off Lady Tigers starter Fallon Cancienne.

After Lindsay Murphy bunted Goodling over, Candi Waggoner brought her in with the tying run with a single to right and advanced to second on the throw to the plate.

Waggoner then moved to third on a wild pitch and scored the go-ahead run as Robyn Smith bounced a single up the middle. Cancienne got AmandaBeard to fly out to right and got out of the inning as Beard was caught stealing.

Hahnville had one last chance in the bottom of the inning but West Ouachita starter Lindsey McKaskle retired the side in order to preserve the victory.

The loss ended a surprising season for the Lady Tigers who many expected would have a rebuilding year after losing eight seniors from last year’s squad and who had two freshmen in the starting lineup.

“I expected a good ball game,” Hahnville coach E.J. Tassin said. “Wecouldn’t get the hits when we needed them and they got the hits when they needed them. That’s the way the ball bounces sometimes. “We lose three starters but we’ll be back. Nobody counted on us to get hereand we made it to the second round. I’m very pleased.”Hahnville broke onto the scoreboard in the top of the first as Kelli Landeche beat out a grounder to third with one out and stole second.

Melanie Delaune then grounded to Waggoner at short who threw high to first, allowing Landeche to score and Delaune to advance to second base.

Delaune then moved to third on a wild pitch and scored as Andrea Frickey grounded out to third, giving the Lady Tigers a 2-0 lead.

West Ouachita cut that lead in half in the top of the second. McKaskle ledoff with a single to right and was sacrificed to second by April Townsend.

McKaskle then advanced to third as Savannah Thompson grounded to third and scored as Rhonda Sims dropped a single just inside the left field line.

Hahnville came back with a run in the bottom of the third. With two outs,Landeche reached as Waggoner bobbled her grounder and stole second.

Delaune then lined a single to left with the ball getting by Beard, allowing Landeche to score to make it 3-1.

West Ouachita made it a one-run game again in the fourth. Beard led offwith a walk and went to third as McKaskle doubled to left-center.

Townsend then brought in Beard with a grounder to second. Cancienne keptthe Lady Tigers in the lead by getting Thompson to pop up to short and striking out Sims.

The Lady Chiefs started a two-out rally in the top of the sixth.

Townsend kept the inning alive by bouncing a single over second base and Thompson followed by dropping a hit into left field. But Cancienne thenstruck out Sims looking to end the inning.

Return To Sports Stories

Copyright © 1998, Wick Communications, Inc.

Internet services provided by NeoSoft.

Best viewed with 3.0 or higher