Lady Bulldogs drop tough season openers in Loachapoka

BY DANIEL SCHMIDT

THE LAFAYETTE SUN

LAFAYETTE — C.J. Walton recorded a run and an RBI, Carly Laborde tallied an RBI and Chat Lewis scored a run as LaFayette High School fell twice to Loachapoka High School on April 8.

The Lady Indians took the opener 18-3 in four innings by way of the mercy rule before Jada Ware’s one-hitter and Loachapoka’s bats shut the door in the second game, which finished 19-0 and was also called early.

With the wins, the Lady Indians improved to 4-4 overall and 2-1 in 2A Area 6 play, while the Lady Bulldogs started off 0-2 overall and 0-2 in Area 6 after playing their first games of the season.

While her team didn’t get the results it hoped for, LaFayette head coach Megan Agee said that she saw plenty of positives, especially compared to last season.

“To get the girls out there was good,” Agee said. “Actually, I was very impressed with some of the catches they made. Last year, they weren’t making those plays. So that’s a step in the right direction for us. Obviously, gamewise, things didn’t turn out like we wanted, but the plays are there, which is an improvement. So that was nice to see.”

Agee also said that she was proud her team never quit and still made plays when they were down and the game seemed out of reach.

“I think when you’re at a smaller school and only have nine girls that can play, we need them to have that mentality,” Agee said. “Them being able to finish a game, hats off to them, because that’s a big deal.”

Game 1

Serving as the visitors in what was a makeup game, the Lady Indians wasted no time. Essense Key opened the scoring in the first inning with a hit that, aided by a fielding error at first, brought Zakaria Garrett home from first base. A sacrifice fly later in the frame plated Key from third.

However, LaFayette showed fight and answered in the bottom half when Walton scored from third on a bunt by Laborde.

Loachapoka then blew the game open with an eight-run second inning. Highlights included Maria Ramirez’s inside-the-park home run and Key’s four-run inside-the-park shot that scored Skyler Davis, Jessica Rojas and Garrett.

Davis added another run in the third, crossing the plate on a Rojas single and an error.

The Lady Indians finished their scoring in the fourth with runs that included a pair of extra-base hits. Among them were Talayah Tables’ inside-the-park home run deep to left field that also scored Ju’kerianna Turk from first, and Eleasure McLennon’s line-drive double just inside the left-field foul line that plated Ramirez.

Despite the lopsided scoreline, the Lady Bulldogs refused to quit, tallying two more runs in the bottom of the fourth before the mercy rule was enforced. Chat Lewis stole home from third after the catcher failed to handle a dropped third strike, and Deazia Avery scored from third on a Walton single to center.

Game 2

Back in the home dugout for the regularly scheduled contest, the Lady Indians sent 15 batters to the plate in a first inning that effectively decided the game.

While a significant portion of the scoring came in the form of walks, Loachapoka also drove in runs with its bats

Among them were singles from Ware and Turk that brought home Garrett and Key, respectively, while Rojas later placed a two-RBI single into center that plated Tables and Ramirez. 

Garrett also recorded a double that brought Rojas home, while Key drove Garrett in late in the inning.

The Lady Indians added seven more in the second. While Loachapoka again benefited from several walks, their bats similarly had a say. 

Turk tripled to left to clear the bases, scoring Rojas, Garrett and Ware. Tables later followed with a run-scoring single down the left-field line before McLennon singled home Tables.

Ware handled the rest in the circle, holding LaFayette to a single hit to etch her name into the program’s history books with the school’s first-ever one-hitter.