Lady Comets secure sweep of Lutcher, playoff spot

Published 12:00 am Friday, March 28, 2008

By RYAN ARENA

Sports Editor

Ever since St. Charles toppled rival Lutcher 18-4 back on March 6, the mantra repeated by the Lady Comets has been constant – it wouldn’t mean a thing unless they could do it again.

Today, it officially means something.

St. Charles completed a season sweep of visiting Lutcher on Tuesday, winning 5-1 and clinching their spot in the state playoffs in the process.

With a win on Tuesday over host Brusly, the Comets can clinch the District 9-3A title outright.

“It feels good that all our hard work is paying off,” said the Comets’ Brooke Becker about the Comets’ postseason clincher. “We’re out there every morning, and sometimes even twice a day. It feels good to see the results.

“Like Coach told us, we just punched our ticket.”

St. Charles Coach Ty Monica said that he was a bit apprehensive about his team’s prospects entering the game.    “I was really worried entering that game. We hadn’t really been challenged since the Lutcher tournament (on March 14-15). That bothered me a little, and I told the girls that I didn’t have a good feeling.”

Suffice to say, his team soothed his fears. Lutcher took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but St. Charles (15-5, 5-0) shot back in the bottom of the inning where the Comets scored three runs.

St. Charles scored its first two runs after a Katie Reine RBI infield single. On the same play, Reine attempted to take second base, and the Lutcher throw sailed into the outfield. Katie Tregre scored to make it 2-0.

With Reine at second, Brooke Becker singled to left field to advance Tregre to third. During the next at bat, Becker was intentionally caught in a rundown, which allowed Tregre to score from third.

Ashley Trosclair started for the Comets on the mound, but did damage with her bat as well. Her two RBIs in the third inning allowed herself more than enough breathing room to notch the win.

Trosclair pitched all seven innings, allowing four hits and one run, while striking out two.

St. Charles tallied nine hits altogether. Courtney Western was 3-for-3 at the plate. Tregre was 2-for-2.