Hahnville walked through the fire during a recent three-game stretch that saw the Lady Tigers take on Walker, Sam Houston and Destrehan – the No. 1, 3 and 6 ranked teams in Division I power points, respectively.
While the Tigers did not pull out a win over that span, Hahnville has turned on the jets since then, winning five of its past six games including a 12-2 victory Tuesday at district foe Central Lafourche.
The Tigers (12-8, 4-1) also earned wins at Patrick Taylor, 3-1, over South Terrebonne at home, 12-3, at East St. John, 19-2, and over Oak Grove at home, 13-3. The lone loss in that stretch came at E.D. White, 7-6.
One thing fueling the Tigers to victory? A lot of power up and down the lineup. Over the past six games, the team has socked 11 home runs.
“The bats are starting to come alive,” said Hahnville head coach Jeremy Duplantis. “We’re not swinging at bat pitches anymore. We’ve been more sound in the way we play … we’re definitely growing up as a team.”
London Lambert and Rylee Villasenor each homered in the game. Lambert and Shelby Theriot each went 3-for-4 at the plate, Theriot driving in three and Lambert two. Villasenor was 2-for-4 with four RBIs. Addison Walton drove in two runs.
Lambert struck out 10 in a complete game effort, going six innings and allowing two earned runs on four hits.
The Tigers’ speed was on display as well – there were eight stolen bases, led by Theriot’s two swipes. Adriana Walton, Emma Jackson, Jordyn Chaix, Pey’tience Alexander, Villasenor and Sophie Baudouin each notched a steal.
Chaix hit a home run and stole a base in Hahnville’s 3-1 win over Patrick Taylor. Chaix went 2-for-3 with a run scored. Adriana Walton and Lambert each doubled. Lambert allowed no earned runs in the circle, going the full seven innings as she threw a one-hitter. She struck out eight, outdueling Taylor’s Ashtyn Rogers, who tallied 14 strikeouts on the day.
Four different Tigers homered in Hahnville’s win over South Terrebonne. Addison Walton, Chaix, Villasenor and Theriot all went yard. Villasenor was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Chaix went 1-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Adriana Walton went 3-for-4 with a run, while Addison Walton was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a run scored – to go along with three stolen bases. Addison Walton and Villasenor each doubled.
Claire Gassen earned the win, striking out eight over six innings. She allowed three earned runs and four hits. Emersen Tregre pitched a scoreless inning in relief.
Villasenor’s swung a hot bat of late – Duplantis said that was just a matter of time for the sophomore. Villasenor was one of Hahnville’s most dangerous hitters in her freshman season, but began this season in a bit of a slump. She’s found her form, and it’s helping to propel the Tigers.
“We knew she’d eventually turn it around – she had such a good season last year. And she has three home runs over the past six games,” Duplantis said. “She’s hit for a .412 average in that stretch. So that’s a huge stick that we’ve kind of been missing, and she’s giving us a big lift.”
Like Villasenor last year, Lambert is having a sensational freshman season. She’s been strong in the circle as the Tigers’ ace pitcher, but at the plate she’s made a big impact in the middle of the Tigers’ order. Over the past six games, she’s batting .647 with three home runs and 14 RBIs.
And Chaix, who homered in the Destrehan game, has kept that power going, with two more home runs since then.
“She’s swinging the bat really well,” said Duplantis. “Even on the out (Tuesday) that she had, she hit it so hard at the second baseman and she just got a glove up. She’s really seeing the ball and squaring it up. And when she’s getting on base for us, with her speed, that’s crucial.”
Duplantis said Hahnville’s tough schedule has made the team better – and it’s also got HHS in line for a strong seed. The Tigers are ranked 11th in power points currently, in line for a potential home game in round one of the playoffs.
“When you look at our schedule, how many teams are there that are ranked No. 1 in their division, or very high up there … at this point, we’ve seen pretty much everything. The best of the best pitching. And the ball is starting to look bigger for us on offense because we’ve seen that much good pitching.”
