By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – It took St. Charles a couple of innings to get into playoff mode. But once the Comets did, they looked every bit the part of a top seed, making short work of Jonesboro-Hodge, 10-0, in five innings by the 10-run rule in a bi-district playoff game Monday.

St. Charles, the No. 1 seed in Class 2A, will play the winner of John Curtis and Springfield. That game had not been played by presstime.

Both Comets’ pitcher Megan Louque and Tigers’ pitcher Kristen Gray pitched scoreless first innings.

Louque and the Comets secured a three up, three down top of the second before the Comet bats got to work.

Kadie Levatino led off the bottom of the second with a base hit and courtesy runner Karli Terrio stole second, then third. After a Candace McGaff walk, Terrio scored on a passed ball. Raven Becnel would drive McGaff home with a single to make it 2-0.

SCC (25-4) added to its lead in the third. Meg Gustafson walked with one out and Levatino collected an RBI single. Jennifer Heltz walked, then McGaff singled to load the bases. Becnel drew a walk to force a run home, then another scored on Jaymie Remondet’s infield fly (dropped on a Tigers’ error) to make it 5-0.

“(Gray) did a really good job mixing things up, and it took us a couple of times through to really get to her,” said St. Charles coach Ty Monica.

“And even then, we really didn’t. She hurt herself a little with some of the walks.”

Said Heltz: “We were very excited and very anxious (to begin the playoffs). Once we started hitting though we gained our confidence and got more comfortable.”

Louque retired three in a row, then helped her own cause with an RBI double after Dominique DiCarlo led off the bottom of the fourth with a walk. Gustafson followed with her own RBI double to make it 7-0. Levatino walked, prompting a Jonesboro-Hodge (9-18) pitching change. But Heltz drilled a two-RBI double off reliever Summer Lowe to make it 9-0.

“I’d struck out earlier, and I knew we needed a hit to pull it out by the 10-run rule,” said Heltz. “I was able to get it to the outfield.”

SCC would add its 10th run on an error, and held the Tigers scoreless in the fifth to officially advance.

Louque (10-3) threw a two-hitter and walked one while striking out eight.

The junior has been called upon to carry the load with Comets’ ace Courtney Western sidelined. Western, who injured her knee last week against Lutcher, is 15-1 on the season.

The Comets hope to have her back in the coming games.

“She’s going through physical therapy right now. We’re just waiting for her brace,” said Monica.

But that said, he says he’ll go to battle with Louque anytime.

“Megan would be a number one for a whole lot of people,” said Monica.

“We have no qualms about putting her inside the circle. She’s gonna go out and compete every single time.”