Tigers move on in playoffs after 2-1 win over Chapelle

A low-scoring, one-run game with a season on the line brings a lot of pressure with it, but Hahnville’s Karly Taranto is alright with that.“I love these types of games,” she said with a grin.

That’s a good thing for the Lady Tigers, as a strong pitching performance coupled with some airtight defensive play helped net a 2-1 victory for host Hahnville over Chapelle in a first-round playoff matchup.

Now one win away from a return to Sulphur, Hahnville (23-7) advances to the regional round and will travel to face No. 7 St. Amant, which defeated Denham Springs Tuesday to advance.

Chapelle (13-9) led 1-0 in the fourth inning when Hahnville’s Sarah VanEtta’s triple plated Danielle Duplay for the game’s tying run. Then Kamryn Keller drove in VanEtta to make it a 2-1 Tigers lead.

That one-run advantage was all Taranto needed. She allowed six hits in the game and cruised for rest of the day, giving her team the nod in a dual with Chapelle pitcher Samantha Mracich.

“There’s always pressure,” Taranto said. “I think the biggest thing is not panicking and staying positive. I knew coming in it would be a really good game. Sam’s a really good pitcher and she had an awesome game also. Felt like it was a team win and I feel really blessed and happy to be on this team.”

In the seventh inning, she struck out the first two Chapelle batters, then allowed one bloop single before inducing a groundout to Maeson Martindale at third to end the game.

“I was (pumped up),” Taranto said. “My biggest thing is not showing any emotion though. I feel like that’s an advantage to the other team when you do that. I just wanted to keep my composure and finish strong.”

Hahnville coach Jerry Nugent said the tough battle was to be expected.

“It feels good,” he said. “Like I just told the team, it’s all about surviving and advancing at this point in the season. We expected this type of game to be honest. We were familiar with their pitcher, they were familiar with ours. She’s a phenomenal pitcher and  she’s done very well all season. We expected it to come down to one play or one run here or there, and that’s how it played out.”

Hahnville finished with just three hits offensively, something Nugent acknowledged will be part of the conversation as the team prepares to face St. Amant.

“Obviously, we’d like to have more (hits) and that’ll be a focus the rest of the week,” he said. “When it comes playoff time, the pitching gets better and better. You need to be able to pitch yourself and play defense. I thought our defense today was really big.”

As for a return to Sulphur, Nugent said that at Hahnville the yearly trek to the state tournament has become an expectation—but he also knows his team has a challenge ahead of it with the Gators.

“Getting there, it’s why you play softball,” he said. “It would be huge. We control our own destiny, but we have a tough opponent right in front of us. We’re familiar with them and we expect it to be another war. We won’t go quietly, that’s for sure.”

 

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