After falling behind 4-1, Hahnville charged back to tie things up in the late innings of its second-round matchup with visiting East Ascension Tuesday.
But for all the fight the Lady Tigers showed, the day belonged to the Spartans – and to Adelynne Bradberry, whose big day at the plate culminated with a game-winning RBI single in the 7th inning to lift EA to a 5-4 victory, in the process bringing Hahnville’s season to an end.
“It was the atmosphere you’d expect in a playoff game … they’re a really good team that plays in a really good district, so I knew it would be this kind of game,” said Hahnville head coach Jeremy Duplantis. “We fought. We came back – we just couldn’t close it out at the end … I’m proud of the girls. We got a lot of hits and made a lot of good plays, it just didn’t quite fall our way.”
No. 12 seeded East Ascension (19-12) advances to the quarterfinals where it will face No. 4 St. Amant, which advanced with a 4-2 win over Southside.
Bradberry went 3-for-4 at the plate, her biggest contribution coming in that final inning when she stepped to the plate with two outs and runners on first and third.
“We’ve been preaching all year, let’s get on base, let’s get them over and let’s come through,” said East Ascension head coach Toni Ricca, who has River Parish ties of her own as a former Riverside Academy standout player. “And Adelynne Bradberry, she’s been up and down all season, we’re trying to fill her with confidence – and she stepped in the box with confidence and got it done for us. So, super proud of her … just all the way around, it was a great game and our players were ready to come through.”
Hahnville pitcher Rylee Villasenor recorded two outs in a row and the Tigers were on the verge of escaping a jam after EA’s Emma Blanchard and Avery Stevens reached to start the inning.
But Bradberry deposited the fifth pitch of the at-bat into center field to plate pinch runner Tobie Landry.
Hahnville’s Emma Jackson drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the seventh inning, but Spartans’ pitcher McKenzie Creel closed it out from there to seal the win.
The Tigers’ Brazzi Jacob concluded a stellar prep career with a strong day at the plate to lead the way offensively for her team, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk. Jenna Cancienne’s own standout tenure at Hahnville (24-9) closed with a 2-for-4, two RBI day at the plate. Jordan Chaix, Shelby Theriot and Villasenor each doubled.
Creel earned the win, pitching 1.2 scoreless innings of one-hit ball in relief of starter Savannah Baker, who went 5.1 innings and allowed four runs.
Cancienne earned a no-decision in her final start, going 4.1 innings and allowing four runs on six hits.
East Ascension struck first – and did so with power, when Baker and Cayden Tullier hit solo homers in the second and third innings respectively to put their team ahead 2-0.
In the bottom of the third, Hahnville (24-9) got a run back after Jacob singled, advanced and ultimately stole third. She scored on a Villasenor sacrifice fly.
In the fifth, East Ascension threatened to pull away after RBI singles by Blanchard and Creel.
But in the bottom half, the Tigers started to get to Baker, starting with a one-out walk by Jacob. Chaix hit a hard line drive out, but Villasenor doubled to set up runners on second and third for Cancienne, who singled both home to cut the lead to 4-3. Amberly Dempster and Emma Jackson walked to load the bases before Addison Walton hit a hard ball for a line out to end the inning.
Hahnville tied the game in the sixth when Jacob drove home Theriot, who doubled to lead off the inning.
The Tigers earned the 5th seed and an opening round bye this season after several runs of torrid play, including a 10-game winning streak to begin 2025.
“They worked very hard from day one. They gave me everything they had,” said Duplantis, who concludes his first season as Tigers head coach. “That’s what I told them after – I appreciate everything they gave me, because they gave me their blood, sweat and tears. We did win a lot of games – of course we wanted to keep going. It just didn’t fall our way.”
The Tiger seniors, he said, could not have established a better foundation for the program as Duplantis and the returning HHS players move on into next season.
“They have been completely amazing. They haven’t missed a practice, a workout – I thank them. Because what they’re leaving here is more important than they understand. The work ethic they instilled in our younger players is going to make a big difference over the next few years,” Duplantis said.
