You might say Hahnville took its 0-2 start to the season a little personally.
Since dropping games to St. Amant and Parkview Baptist in the season’s first week, the Lady Tigers haven’t tasted defeat, earning 15 straight victories — the most recent a key district win over a hot Destrehan team, 10-3, at Hahnville Tuesday.
The win streak has pushed Hahnville to the top overall position in the state’s Class 5A power point ranking.
“Those first two games were rough. We were right in ‘em with two perennial state powers,” Nugent said. “To our kids’ credit, they stayed the course and made adjustments. (Pitcher) Karly (Taranto) has been excellent. Our hitting has exceeded all expectations and we’re doing all the little things correct.”
Hannah Borne and Courtney Ortego each hit home runs in the win, Borne going 2-for-3 with four RBIs and Ortego going 2-for-4 with two runs scored, two RBIs and a double. Kamryn Keller went 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
Karly Taranto earned the win for Hahnville, going the complete game and allowing three earned runs on seven hits. She struck out two and walked one.
For Destrehan, Gia Zeringue and Sarah Boquet each hit home runs. Kaela Schiro and Boquet each went 2-for-3 in the game. Tyler Oubre took the loss on the mound, allowing six earned runs on 10 hits.
The Tigers (15-2, 4-0) landed the day’s big blow in the sixth inning, where they scored six runs to extend a 2-0 lead to 8-0. Borne’s three-run home run highlighted the inning, which also featured RBI singles by Keller and Courtney Friloux, the latter driving in a pair of runs.
“I’ve been in a big slump, but today I had good at-bats,” said Borne. “I’m a base hit hitter, I don’t swing for the fence. But for the home run, it felt great.”
She said everything has been coming together for the team since the beginning of the year.
“We’re hitting the ball, playing defense, communicating and playing as a team, not as individuals,” Borne said. “Early in the year we weren’t hitting as well, but now we’re getting our hits.”
Over the course of Hahnville’s streak, many of the teams the Tigers have felled comprise a who’s who of state contenders. Sam Houston, Airline, West Ouachita, Alexandria, Brusly, John Curtis, Barbe, Walker, Thibodaux, Central Lafourche, Beau Chene, De La Salle, Mount Carmel and H.L. Bourgeois have fallen to Hahnville during the run, and just two of those games have been decided by less than four runs.
Hahnville has outscored opposing teams over the past 15 games 166-38.
“We’re playing a very ambitious, bold type of schedule,” said Hahnville coach Jerry Nugent. “But when you have an experienced team that’s been through the battles, that’s what you need to do. We’re not doing right by ourselves or by our kids if we don’t test ourselves each week. We’re fortunate to have answered the bell.”
He paused when asked if he had thought putting together such a win streak would be possible against the level of competition faced so far.
“To say it was an expectation would be overstating it, because we have a lot of respect for the teams we’ve played. But to say I thought it wasn’t possible would also be underestimating our team, because I know what we’re capable of,” Nugent said.
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