Hahnville softball ace signs with Nicholls

Jonathan Menard/Herald-Guide

Hahnville pitcher Hannah Haydel led the Lady Tigers to a state championship last year with a 31-3 record.

Hahnville pitcher Hannah Haydel, who is entering her senior season, officially signed with Nicholls State University last week.

Last April, Haydel led Hahnville to its first-ever state softball title. She recorded a 31-3 record on the mound during the season and allowed only two earned runs in five state playoff games.

The Lady Tigers defeated Denham Springs, 6-2, in the 5A Championship Game.

In a regional playoff showdown with Slidell, Haydel pitched a no-hitter with seven strikeouts in a crucial 1-0 victory. She then followed that up with a shutout in a victory over St. Thomas Moore, which had come from behind to defeat Hahnville in the 2010 state championship game.

For the season, Haydel struck out 205 batters while walking only 50. She finished the year with a 1.06 ERA and was named 1st Team All-State by both the Louisiana Sports Writers Association and the Louisiana Softball Coaches Association.

Haydel was also named the Greater New Orleans Amateur Athlete of the Month for April, after leading the Lady Tigers to the Class 5A state championship.

Haydel received the award at the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony, hosted by the Allstate Sugar Bowl.