There have been plenty of heroes for Hahnville throughout this softball season.
And there were plenty of them on Sunday – and they’re now all state champions.
Jordyn Chaix’s two out, walk-off single and Rylee Villasenor’s two home run, five RBI day lifted Hahnville to a 6-5 victory over Live Oak in the Division I non-select state championship game.
Chaix came up to bat with Villasenor at first base after the latter was intentionally walked earlier in the inning. Chaix drove the ball to the outfield and Villasenor raced home, scoring on a play at the plate to send Hahnville’s dugout pouring onto the field in celebration.
Villasenor was named the tournament’s Outstanding Player after her big day.
“I was not stopping (on the game-winning run),” Villasenor said. “This is once in a lifetime. Not everyone can say they made it to Sulphur and even fewer can say they won it all there. To go back to Hahnville knowing we’re the champions, I can’t even describe it.”
Chaix said she focused on the task at hand when she came up in the big spot.
“I don’t know that it’s sunk in yet … when I saw Rylee rounding third, I had so much faith in her,” said Chaix. “Walking to the plate, I knew I had a big job to do, and with Rylee’s speed at first and my ability to work and stay strong through the count, that got me through the at-bat. I’m so excited for everyone on our team.”
The Tigers (24-12), the No. 8 seeded team in the bracket, earned Hahnville its first state championship since 2011.
This year the second year as Hahnville head coach for Jeremy Duplantis – and he worked quickly to guide his team to a state championship, It was Duplantis’ second state championship in three seasons, after guiding Vandebilt Catholic to the Division II select state crown in 2024.
“Every time (Live Oak) scored runs, our girls would come off the field cheering, ready to go and get the bat in our hands,” said Duplantis. “Our strength of schedule it prepared us mentally for this moment,
playing the top teams in the state. There were a lot of games we didn’t come out on the winning end. To overcome that, and overcome that, and keep the wheels on … knowing what the prize is and our ultimate goal.”
It was a wild start to the game. Live Oak (23-14) got on the board in the top of the first to take a 2-0 lead, the first run coming after Halle Maxwell scored on an error and the second on Ava Kate Phillips’ RBI single.
Phillips got the first two Tiger batters out to start the bottom of the first, but after London Lambert walked, it was a Live Oak mistake that gave the Tigers an opening when Shelby Theriot reached on an error.
With two on, that brought Villasenor up – and she hit the ball out, clearing the bases with a home run that gave the Tigers the 3-2 lead.
That high-scoring first gave way to a calmer next few innings. The score held until Jeanne Janise’s RBI single in the top of the fifth, which scored Maxwell after the latter singled with two outs. That tied it 3-3.
Again, the Tigers answered – and it was a familiar answer. Lambert singled to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning and two batters later, Villasenor blasted a towering shot to left field and over the wall to give her team a 5-3 advantage.
“That was an incredible feeling,” Villasenor said. “I knew I had my teammates behind me.”
But in the sixth, walks drawn by Bailey Spencer and Kenslee Carter of Live Oak opened up a chance to tie or go ahead. Taylor Mattingly and Molly Latham each singled to drive in runs, tying the game 5-5.
Phillips and Lambert each pitched a scoreless frames to bring it into the bottom of the seventh. Then Villasenor and Chaix delivered.
Check back later tonight for more details from Hahnville’s championship win.
