The Hahnville Lady Tigers are state tournament bound, thanks to a 7-1 regional playoff win at Chalmette last Friday.
But perhaps the bigger story is the fact head coach Kenneth Vial, a 28-year dugout veteran, has learned something from a team that boasts seven underclassmen including four freshmen starters.
“I’ve learned a lot from this team,” he said. “It is kind of hard to say it that way, but it’s true. Composure is a great thing, and these kids have it.”
That fact was evident last Friday when Hahnville junior pitcher Lauren Candies gave up a leadoff home run to Chalmette’s Hayley Smith. After Smith rounded the bases, the Lady Tigers met on the mound and encouraged their standout hurler.
“I knew my team was behind me, and we can play defense, so I just went back to pitching my game. It paid off,” Candies said.
“I’m so happy to have the defense that I had this year because they did such a great job. I definitely could not have done this by myself.”
After the home run, Candies (24-3) allowed just two more hits and struck out five as Hahnville prevailed 7-1 to punch its ticket to Sulphur. The district champion Lady Tigers (28-5-2), seeded third, will play in the state tournament for the first time since 2003 and take on No. 27 Denham Springs in the quarterfinals at 2 p.m. Friday.
When Hahnville takes the field, Vial said he hopes the team’s hot hitting continues for another three games.
“The last three or four games, we have really hit the ball,” Vial said. “We have 20-something hits in two playoff games. That is a lot for playoff softball.”
Against Chalmette, Hahnville’s bats came alive in the third inning when the Lady Tigers plated three runs on two errors. Freshman second baseman Courtney Dutreix drove in two runs with a one-out single to center field, and she would later score on a two-out throwing error by second baseman Desi Delos Reyes to give Hahnville a 3-1 lead.
Senior leftfielder Jessica Cancienne put the game on ice with a two-run home run in the fourth while the Lady Tigers added single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to set the final score.
“Our confidence level is very high,” Vial said. “Chemistry is a big thing in sports, and we have that. I don’t know where or how we got that, but we’re very focused and confident. They are just having fun.”
Now the Lady Tigers turn their focus to a Denham Springs team that is playing its best softball. The Lady Yellowjackets started the season 3-12, but are now 14-18 overall, winning 10 of their last 13 games including playoff victories against Dominican and Airline.
“We are facing a team that is hot and confidence and playing well at the right time, but if you look at us, you can say the same thing,” Vial said about his team’s 10-game winning streak.
The only question mark is whether the Lady Tigers, who battled nerves before routing Natchitoches Central, 12-3, can handle the unique atmosphere that is Sulphur
“After we beat Chalmette when we are talking in the outfield, I told the team that knowing what I know, I think we’re ready. And they were like, “Alright, coach, we got this’,” Vial said, about his team that has defeated St. Amant and East Ascension on the road.
“We’re going there to win. We’re not going to show up and say that we played in the state tournament. We are going there to win.”
A big part of the Lady Tigers’ success has been their solid defensive play including shortstop Summer Melancon and second baseman Dutreix.
“It is going to be a good experience,” Dutreix said about the state tournament. “We were a little nervous both playoff games but being too relaxed can make you make mistakes. I think that nerves can actually help us play better.”
Dutreix’s quiet confidence is reflected by senior first baseman Mindy Gaubert and senior leftfielder and the team’s leading hitter Jessica Cancienne.
“I think that the seniors have definitely stepped up, but without these freshmen, we couldn’t have done it,” Cancienne said. “We trust each other. When Mindy (Gaubert) gets a ball at first base, I know that she is going to catch it. When Summer (Melancon) fields a ball, I know that she is going to field it cleanly.”
Vial said although his team may be young, they have a lot of summer ball experience and a quiet swagger that may just produce three more wins.
“Every game that we lost, we had a chance to win at the end. It shows the mental make-up of this team. All of these kids have a great work ethic, and they want to be good. They want to win,” he said.
“You always think that the youth is going to come out and bite you, but it hasn’t. We have a good mix of leadership from the older kids, and the younger kids bring a lot of energy and a winning attitude.”
As for the atmosphere in Sulphur, Gaubert said: “A game is a game. There may be more people watching but at the end of the day, it is still a game. We just want to get three more wins.”
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