MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / June 14, 2000

BATON ROUGE – Pitchers Sarah Meadors of Denham Springs and Crista Miller of Parkview Baptist led the way as the East Squad continued its dominance of the Louisiana High School Coaches Association Softball All-Star Games Saturday at LSU’s Tiger Field.

Meadors, the East’s MVP, and Miller combined to throw 12 innings of shutout ball as the East swept the doubleheader, 2-1 and 1-0. The East has won 13of the 17 games played since 1992.

Lutcher’s Toni Riley played left field for nine innings in the two games while St. Charles Catholic’s Jessie Zeringue caught for five innings. Riley went 0-for-4 at the plate while Zeringue was 0-for-2.

“It was fun,” Zeringue said. “It was a good experience. I had a lot of fun. Itwas a privilege to play with some of the girls that were so good.”Riley agreed, saying she is going to miss playing the sport.

“It was a good experience and it was fun. I was glad to meet all the girls. Justgetting to play on this field and playing at LSU. When I see it on TV now, I cansay I was right there.”Riley and Zeringue were involved in a key defensive play in the bottom of the first inning of the second game. Ascension Catholic’s Sarah Dupepe drew awalk from Miller with one out and Southwood’s Alisha Cory followed with a double over Riley’s head in left field.

Riley chased down the ball at the fence and hit Live Oak shortstop Cassandra Williams with the cutoff. Williams then threw home with Zeringue applying thetag on Dupepe at the plate, keeping the game scoreless.

The game would remain that way until the top of the fourth. Meadors led offthe inning with a walk against Brusly’s Emily Stelly and courtesy runner Nikki Lincoln of Episcopal stole second. St. Amant’s Melanie Hymel then laid down abunt along the first baseline and reached as Sulphur first baseman Angela Gautreaux dropped the ball on the tag.

Walker’s Kristen Rogillio reached on a fielder’s choice on a bunt in front of the plate to load the bases. After Mangham’s Kayla Sharboro struck out,East Ascension’s Rhagen Austin hit a flare along the right field line that fell in front of a diving Amanda Saucier of Sacred Heart-Ville Platte. Lincolnscored to give the East a 1-0 lead.

The East threatened again in the fifth against Stelly as Tioga’s Kristi Mathews was hit by a pitch and West Monroe’s Nicole Ferguson reached on an error to open the inning. Two outs later, Rogillio singled to left to load thebases but Stelly got Sharboro to fly out to right to end the inning.

After Denham Springs’ Erinne Milligan singled with two outs in the top of the sixth against Kaplan’s Lauren Trahan, Riley hit a line drive to right field that was caught by Saucier. Trahan struck out the side in the seventh, finishing aday in which she pitched seven scoreless innings, giving up four hits while striking out nine.

Meadors pitched the final four innings for the East, allowing singles to Byrd’s Melissa Guillot with two outs in the fifth and St. Thomas More’s StephanieHunter with one out in the sixth. Hunter was then picked off first bySharboro to end the inning.

Meadors went seven innings in the two games, allowing two hits while striking out eight. Miller pitched five innings, giving up three hits and two walks whilestriking out four.

Meadors retired nine of the 10 batters she faced to start the first game.

Miller pitched the middle two innings, allowing a single to Dupepe with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. Dupepe advanced to second on a throwingerror by Riley on the play and went to third on a wild pitch. Miller kept thegame scoreless by striking out Hunter to end the inning.

The East threatened early as Rogillio sent a chopper up the middle with two outs in the second and stole second before Stelly got Sharboro to ground out to end the inning. Milligan singled to center with two outs in the third andwent to second on a passed ball but Stelly struck out Mathews for the third out.

The West finally broke the stalemate against Ferguson in the top of the seventh. Stelly opened the inning with a walk with courtesy runner Andi Reedof Pine Prairie going to second on Berwick’s Mary Skiles’ chopper over the mound. Gautreaux laid down a bunt but Reed was forced on the play. A walkby Cory loaded the bases before Ferguson struck out Dupepe for the second out. Hunter then hit a chopper to third that got past Hymel as courtesyrunner Rikki St. Upery of Catholic-New Iberia scored to make it 1-0.Stelly retired the first two batters in the bottom of the inning before Hymel kept the East alive by reaching on an error at short. West Monroe’s NatalieHambry followed with a single to left, sending Hymel to second. Sharborothen drove a single to right, scoring Hymel with the tying run and sending courtesy runner Alayna Cunningham of Pineville to third. Austin followed witha slow grounder to short, beating Cory’s throw to first as Hambry scored the winning run.

Austin went 2-for-4 with two game-winning RBIs in the two games. Hunterwas named the West’s MVP after 3-for-5 with a RBI.

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