MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / April 21, 2000

LUTCHER – Carlie Humphries may have been a freshman making her first playoff start for Lutcher Tuesday afternoon, but it would have been hard for one to tell.

Humphries pitched a two-hitter, striking out eight, to help the Lady Bulldogs to a 13-0 victory over Pearl River in the Class 3A bi-district playoffs.

Lutcher (20-11) advances to play the winner of Jena and Iowa in the regionals. Pearl River finished its season at 12-11.”We knew Lutcher had a solid program,” Pearl River coach Les Sibley said.

“We knew it was going to be a really tough game. We needed the breaks andwe didn’t get them.”Humphries went the distance in improving her record to 20-5 on the season.

She allowed a single to right by Jessie Sibley in the fifth and one to left by Feather Chiasson in the seventh. She also hit Kristin Holly with a pitch in thethird and walked Amanda Whitehead in the sixth.

“It’s the main pitch I’ve been working on because it screws batters into the ground and really gets them,” Humphries said of her curveball. “It’s my mainpitch now and it was really working today.

“The team is coming together really well. The bats have been coming aroundlately and It’s been a whole team effort.”Those bats came around in the bottom of the second as the Lady Bulldogs sent nine batters to the plate and scored five runs. Breeze Vicknair gotthings started by drawing a walk from Pearl River starter Candice Ellis (12- 11). Tiffany Arceneaux followed by beating out a bunt to the pitcher. After asacrifice by Humphries, Lindsey Louque grounded to third. Chiasson lookedVicknair back but her throw was high to first, allowing Vicknair and courtesy runner Ciji LeBlanc to come in to score.

Kassie Waguespack then lined a single to right-center, plating Louque to make it 3-0. Toni Riley grounded to short with Waguespack being forced atsecond. Amber Boe then laid down a bunt that catcher Kayla Mitchell threwover first, allowing Riley to come in to score. Boe advanced to third on twowild pitches and scored as Michelle Roussel ripped a single down the third baseline, giving the Lady Bulldogs a 5-0 lead.

Lutcher added five more runs in the third. With one out, Arceneaux lined adouble down the third baseline and went to third on an infield single by Humphries. Louque followed with a grounder to third with LeBlanc, running forArceneaux, getting caught off the bag. LeBlanc beat the rundown to scorewith Humphries and Louque moving to third and second.

Waguespack brought Humphries home with a ground out to short. Rileyreached on an error by Chiasson, allowing Louque to come in. Boe followedwith a line drive into the right field corner, legging it out for an inside-the- park home run to make it 10-0.

The Lady Bulldogs got two more in the fifth as Waguespack reached on an error, stole second, went to third on a throwing error and scored on a balk.

Riley followed with a walk, stole second, went to third on a ground out by Boe and scored as Roussel got caught in a rundown between first and second after drawing a walk.

Lutcher closed out the scoring in the sixth. Vicknair led off the inning with asingle to center, went to second on wild pitch, to third on Humphries’ fly ball to right and scored as Louque reached on an error.

“I told the players to just play our game,” Lutcher coach Helen Funk said.

“Make the plays and execute, run the bases the bases well and be smart. Wegot good pitching from Carlie. She kept them off-balanced. They put the ballin play and we made the plays. It was a complete team effort. I’m pleasedwith the way the team has come together, but we’re not done yet.”

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