For the first time since 2018, the Hahnville Lady Tigers are headed to Sulphur.
In front of a loud and proud home crowd of supporters, the No. 8 seeded Tigers captured a 4-3 victory over No. 16 Central-Baton Rouge in the Division I non-select state quarterfinals Friday to punch their ticket to the state softball tournament in Sulphur, where the state semifinals and finals are annually held.
Hahnville will play No. 5 St. Amant in one of the two semifinal games. St. Amant defeated No. 4 East Ascension 8-2 Friday to advance.
Hahnville’s London Lambert drove in what proved to be the eventual game-winning run on an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning. Adriana Walton singled to lead
off the inning and Emma Jackson bunted her over to set things up for Lambert.
Tigers head softball coach Jeremy Duplantis is no stranger to Sulphur – he guided Vandebilt Catholic to the Division II select championship in 2024 and to a state final in 2023. Now, he’ll make another trip, guiding the Tigers there in just his second season leading the HHS program.
“It’s just great. We had a lot of ups and downs this year, just playing those tough games early in the years, and it just all came together in the playoffs,” Duplantis said. “(Central’s) a really good team with a really good pitcher. We got clutch hits when we needed them. We battled some at bats and drew some big time walks. And they took the lead on us, but we held them from there. A full team effort, we did what we needed to do to win.”
At the plate for Hahnville (22-12), Lambert went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs. Jordyn Chaix went 1-for-2 with a double and RBI. Adriana Walton went 1-for-2 with two runs scored. Walton and Peytience Alexander each stole a base.
Lambert also earned the win on the mound, going the complete game and allowing three earned runs on five hits and four walks. She struck out three.
A freshman, Lambert hit the ground running in her debut season for Hahnville, and she has yet to slow down through the first three postseason starts of her career, whether it’s in the circle or at the plate.
She said she can’t wait for Sulphur.
“It’s super exciting,” Lambert said. “We just did something amazing, and we’ve worked so hard for it. I’m so proud of us. It’s a great feeling.”
Lambert said her RBI single to go ahead “wasn’t really the prettiest” hit.
“But it definitely did the job,” she said with a smile.
Duplantis said Lambert has shown she thrives in pressure spots.
“The difference with London, she’s just got ice in her veins. There’s no moment too big for her,” said Duplantis. “Even though she’s only a freshman, and we’ve only had her one year, she just competes whenever it gets tough. That’s all you could ever ask for.”
For Central (20-10), Natalie Breedlove struck out 10 in the loss. She allowed three earned runs on six hits and three walks.
Offensively, Ava Schlatre led the way with a home run and three RBIs. Edyn Mannino doubled.
The game was scoreless for the first two innings. That began to change in the bottom of the third inning as the teams began to go back and forth for a bit. Jackson singled and Lambert followed up with a two-run homer to right field that sent the HHS dugout into elation, and their team ahead 2-0.
The lead was short-lived for the time being, however. Kynlee Rhearns walked to lead off the top of the fourth for Central, then Mannino doubled. That brought up Schlatre, who socked a fly ball to center that cleared the wall for a three-run home run to give the Wildcats a 3-2 lead.
Hahnville answered in the bottom of the fourth. Sophie Baudouin singled with one out to set up Jordyn Chaix, who doubled Baudouin in to tie things up 3-3.
Then came the Tigers’ go-ahead score in the bottom of the fifth.
HHS still had to hold off the Wildcats. Schlatre walked to lead off the sixth and Madison Mackson bunted over courtesy runner Breleigh Etue, but Lambert and the Tiger defense got two straight ground ball outs to end the threat.
And in the seventh, defense again ruled the moment to end the game. After Lambert got Breedlove to fly out, Baudouin hauled in the final two outs at shortstop – including a grab of a hot shot by Lexie Guercio that clinched the win in the day’s final at-bat.
To look at the Tigers on paper is to see a very young team in terms of experience. Three seniors, Jackson, Emersen Tregre and Addison Walton, started the quarterfinal along with Chaix, a junior. A whopping five sophomores and a freshmen joined them as starters.
But Hahnville scheduled with a purpose, playing elite competition all season long, and it resulted in a talented team becoming quite seasoned in a hurry.
“You know, at practice the other day I was telling them what it’s like (at Sulphur). And the way their eyes were just glued. It was just amazing. So, I’m so happy
that they’re gonna get to experience it,” Duplantis said.
Jackson, the Tigers’ first baseman and a senior leader, called Friday’s win a special moment.
“(Emotions) are everywhere right now,” Jackson said. “The past three years, we haven’t made it past the second round, and now this year we’ve all fought so hard and made it to Sulphur. Hahnville hasn’t been to Sulphur since 2018, so this just feels great.”
She added the chance to get the quarterfinal win at home made the experience even better.
Hahnville’s most likely path after winning in round two was to be on the road at top-seeded Walker. But Central earned a 7-4 upset win, which meant the quarterfinal would be played at Hahnville – the third home playoff game in a row for the Lady Tigers.
“We play a lot better at home. The energy’s so high, everyone’s excited, all our fans can come and support us. We were very excited to play this one here,” Jackson said.
