LAPLACE — St. Charles Catholic coach Ty Monica was awfully nervous about Monday’s bi-district playoff game against No. 25 seed Delcambre.

After his team’s sub-par play in the top of the first inning, which allowed the visiting Panthers to take a 1-0 lead, he was even more nervous. All that angst was for nothing, however.

The No. 8 Lady Comets pounded 13 hits on their way to a 13-2 victory in five innings to advance to the second round. St. Charles (23-3) will host No. 9 Mangham, which defeated No. 24 Northlake Christian 8-5. The game will be played at 1 p.m. Saturday in LaPlace.

The Comets began to relieve their coach’s worry in the bottom of the inning when they scored eight runs on seven hits, sending 12 batters to the plate. They calmed him even more with two runs in the second and three runs in the third.

Every player in the starting lineup got at least one hit and six had two. All but one scored at least one run.

Caroline Julian went 2-for-2 with an RBI double, a single and a walk. Pilar Zeringue went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles, one RBI and three runs scored. Grace Mohon went 2-for-3 with a double, one RBI and three runs scored. Jade Brady singled, doubled and hit a sacrifice fly. Danielle Rankin went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and scored a run. Maddie Cochran hit a pair of singles and drove in a run.

Yet, it was a base-on-balls by Destiny Wesley that started the Comets’ rally in the first with two outs.

“We talk about that all the time,” Monica said. “That was huge.”

Monica said he was worried about his Monday opponent, which came into the game with a record of 15-10.

“There aren’t many teams that have won 15 games,” Monica said. “We knew they were a good team. We knew they swung the bats well.”

The Panthers did get six hits off of a pair of Comets pitchers.

Starter Kelsey  Williams pitched 1 1/3 innings before Monica pulled her in favor of Haley St. Martin after Williams walked a batter in the second.

St. Martin finished the game, giving up three hits and walking four. She struck out two.

“I just felt like (Williams) didn’t have it,” Monica said. “She knew it.  She felt it. We always feel like we have a bunch of pitchers who can come in and get the job done. There’s no tomorrow now.”

The only thing that didn’t make Monica happy Monday was his team’s play in the field.

The Comets made three errors, including one in the first that cost his team its first run.

After congratulating his team, and especially his seniors who were feted with flowers and cake after the game, Monica told his team to be ready to get back to work.

“Bring a hard hat and a lunch pail,” he said.