Before the start of the playoffs, Destrehan prepared itself one last time in the regular season – or, more accurately, three times. The Wildcats ran a true gauntlet of opponents over their final week of play.
DHS faced off with the No. 1 ranked team in Division II-select (Vandebilt Catholic), the No. No. 2 ranked team in Division II non-select (Lutcher) and the No. 3 ranked team in Division II-non-select – going 2-1 in those games.
“It was the Dodgers and the Astros,” Destrehan head coach Craig Perrier quipped. “Anything we’re lacking in, anything we need to work on, you’re going to see it against those teams who are always top five, year in and out making long playoff runs … we want to play the best at the end of the regular season so we can do that.”
Destrehan began that gauntlet by defeating Brusly 5-4, rallying from a 4-1 deficit in the seventh inning to score four runs in the bottom of the seventh. Jolie Lozano’s walk-off double scored Chloe Burford to seal the win. Gracie Bourgeois set that up with her game-tying 3-run home run after Luci Cassagne and Ava Breazeale led off the inning with back-to-back singles.
Lozano doubled twice in the game. Burford and Breazeale each doubled. Breazeale went 2-for-3. Lozano went the complete game for the win, allowing three earned runs on six hits and a walk.
Conversely, it was Destrehan leaping out to an early lead against top-ranked Vandebilt. Destrehan struck first on Victoria Morrow’s first-inning three-run home run that made it 3-0. The Wildcats capitalized on a couple of Terrier mistakes to make it 6-0, with two runs scoring on an error and another when Lozano drew a bases loaded walk to force home a run. Vandebilt cut the lead to three by the sixth inning, but could draw no closer.
Morrow finished 1-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Burford stole two bases and scored two runs. Cassagne went 2-for-3 with a run.
Lozano went the complete seven innings for the win, allowing no earned runs and three unearned on seven hits and four strikeouts.
The one loss in the trio of games came to Lutcher, which earned a 9-2 home win on Tuesday.
DHS led 2-0 in the first inning after a two-run Lozano homer, but Lutcher scored four in the bottom half to take a lead it would never relinquish.
Blair Clement earned the win for Lutcher on the mound, allowing two earned runs on five hits while striking out six. Lozano took the loss, allowing six earned runs on eight hits. Clement, Addison Brignac and Reece Clement led the LHS offense, each driving in two runs.
Still, as the old saying goes – two out of three ain’t bad.
That’s especially so in this case. The win over Vandebilt Catholic was a significant victory – Vandebilt traveled to Destrehan with an undefeated record – the Ladycats ended what was a 25-game winning streak by the Terriers, and did so by leading wire-to-wire.
“These girls aren’t scared of anybody,” Perrier said. “We had a little talk with them before the game and fired them up. And we start, walk, base hit and then the three-run homer … we made an error and if we don’t do that, they don’t score. So it was a really big win and a really impressive performance by our girls.”
Morrow’s home run was the catalyst early on.
“She wants to be good. She’s never satisfied,” said Perrier of his shortstop. “She always wants extra ground balls, always is working on her swing. A lot of the times she gets out, she’s hitting it so hard, right at someone. A lot of kids would get frustrated with that and get into a slump, but she continues to work and work and work. And between her and (second baseman) Rylie Staton, they’re so solid defensively.”
The Ladycats earned an opening round bye in the Division I non-select playoffs, securing the No. 6 seed.
