Jolie Lozano stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the seventh inning of Destrehan’s home playoff matchup with visiting Mandeville, with a chance to win the game with one swing.
She came through in the critical moment – as this sophomore often does.
Destrehan’s dugout exploded in joy as the Ladycats captured a 3-2 win Saturday afternoon to advance to round two of the LHSAA state softball playoffs on Lozano’s two-run double.
“It’s awesome … I knew I had to do a job there, my team was counting on me,” Lozano said. “Especially to do this with this group of girls and the seniors, it’s a great feeling to come out with this win.”
No. 15 Destrehan (21-12) will play on the road at No. 2 Benton today at 4 p.m.
Destrehan briefly led before Mandeville (18-8) posted two runs in the fourth inning to take a 2-1 lead. That was where the score stayed until the day’s final at-bats, as Lozano and Mandeville’s freshman starting pitcher Mia Baham waged a pitcher’s duel throughout the game.
Lozano allowed two runs (unearned) on three hits on her way to the win. She struck out four and walked one. Baham struck out seven, walked five and allowed three runs on six hits.
It was a much different type of game than the regular season meeting between these teams – a 14-13 Destrehan victory on Feb. 18. But the Wildcats were thrilled to emerge with the same result, a one-run victory, and this time a ticket to round two with it.
Lozano had a big day overall with her bat, going 4-for-4 with three RBIs. Three of her hits were doubles.
But her work on the mound was equally as important on a day runs were at a premium.
“My mindset the whole time was, ‘gotta hold ‘em, gotta hold ‘em,’ just do damage control,” Lozano said.
Destrehan’s season was on the line with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Leanna Vicknair gave her team life, drawing a walk to get her team started. Then Chloe Burford – Destrehan’s leadoff batter who recently returned from injury – singled to advance Vicknair to third.
That brought up Wildcats’ slugger Ava Burkett, who drew a full count walk to load the bases.
And then it was Lozano’s moment.
Destrehan head coach Craig Perrier noted that in many similar instances, an opposing team wouldn’t have pitched to Burkett – who set St. Charles Parish’s all-time home run record for a single season this year with 22 home runs – in a high-leverage situation, but Lozano being 3-for-3 at the plate put Mandeville in a bind.
“When Jolie came up, I knew we were going to at least tie,” Perrier said. “They started shifting over because she’d been pounding the left-center side, and I thought alright, she’s going to hit at least a fly ball. And she hit a long drive and it keeps going to the wall … what can you say about 14 (Lozano)? She’s a great player and a better kid.”
“And now we’re off to Shreveport. My wife asked me, ‘did you breathe at all the whole game?’ And I said, ‘I don’t think so.’”
Mandeville took the lead in the fourth inning on RBIs by Blair Ezell and Caroline Thornhill.
Destrehan scored its first run just prior to that, on a Lozano RBI double in the bottom of the third inning.
