By JOHNNY PEPPO

Sports Editor

With great success sometimes comes great disappointment.

Nobody knows that more than the St. Charles softball team right now as they lick their wounds after Saturday’s 1-0 semi- finals loss to Menard. After reaching the title game in 2005 against Parkview in 3A, and last year against John Curtis in 2A, the Lady Comets came up just short of their third consecutive finals appearance. But they didn’t go without a fight.

SCC started the Fast Pitch 56 state tournament Friday afternoon at Frasch Park in Sulphur with an 8-6 win over Pope John Paul where the two teams combined for four home runs. Lauren Conglio hit the game’s biggest one with a three-run blast over the left field wall in the bottom of the fourth for the winning margin of victory. Pitcher Courtney Western, who came on in relief of Ashley Trosclair in the third inning, hit the other homer for St. Charles.

Scoring started with a burst in the top of the third when the Jaguars hit both of their home runs and took a 4-0 lead. But SCC returned the favor when Western hit her two-run homer and Coniglio and Brooke Becker both singled. Addie Reine tied it up when she pulled a double to score Coniglio and Becker. Pope John Paul made it close in the fifth and sixth, putting up a pair of runs in the former and loading the bases in the latter. But the SCC defense held up and finished off the Lady Jaguars to advance to play Saturday.

From there, St. Charles faced Menard and their ace pitcher Kristyn Shores. Shores held the Lady Comet batters in check for the semi-final game, giving up five hits and striking out six. Western, Coniglio, Reine and Katie Tregre accounted for those hits, but none of them were able to get past first base as Shores and the Lady Eagle defense kept them off-balance.

Western got the start and held Menard scoreless through five innings, giving up four hits while striking out six throughout. The only run surrendered in the game came in the fifth inning after an error at second base put Menard in scoring position. With one away, Katie Reine fielded a ground ball at third but her throw to Gina Monica ricocheted off of her glove and the Lady Eagles scored on a single to right field.

Menard went on to face John Curtis for the state championship where the Lady Patriots claimed their third consecutive 2A title. The loss brings the Lady Comets season to a close with a _-_ record.