Morgan City run-rules Assumption, 10-0

This year’s Morgan City High School softball team is different.
First, its young — comprised mainly of freshmen and sophomores on the field.
And secondly, it, unlike previous years, plays better at home.
The reason to the success at home is lost on coach Tamera Keller, but whatever it is, it has produced an 8-0 home mark.
Their latest win? The most important yet, a 10-0 run-rule victory in five innings against district foe Assumption Monday in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs.
It was the second time this season Morgan City run-ruled Assumption after defeating them 10-0 in six innings earlier this season.
The Lady Tigers would lose the District 7-4A championship to Assumption earlier this month in a game in which Keller said her team got “soaked up in the moment,” while an Assumption team with seven seniors “rose to the occasion,” Keller said.
“I think sometimes their age hurts them, like it did in the district (championship) game, but in these moments, they kind of don’t really get it, so I mean maybe that’s what it is,” Keller said.
However, she said her team has played well at home so it’s the only thing she can ask for.
Morgan City (15-6) was led by an eight-run second inning that began at the bottom of the Lady Tigers order. By the time the scoring had ended, Morgan City had racked up eight runs — all with no outs — on six hits in the inning
Keller said her team is really good at hitting and she has impressed upon them that if they swing at strikes, they will make contact.
“They’ve shown that when they swing. … We had a plan, and they went up there and they executed it,” Keller said.
In addition to the Lady Tigers scoring barrage, they got a big performance on the mound from sophomore Kennedy Hebert, who tossed a one-hitter with two walks and six strikeouts.
Keller said it’s hard to hit Hebert when she throws like she’s capable.
“When she gets confidence, she gets a little cocky, and then she gets even better,” Keller said.
Hebert said at Assumption, she didn’t have a great game.
“I left a few balls over the plate and … it helped them get a few runs,” she said.
However, Monday, she said her curveball was clicking, and she was throwing better.
Offensively, Morgan City’s big second inning started with back-to-back singles by Reilee Bailey and McKenzie Smith.
Assumption pitcher Emily Blanchard then walked Mattie Rivere to load the bases and Hannah Prado to bring home the game’s first run.
Allie Vincent, Kennedy Hebert and Gracie Verrett then followed with back-to-back-to-back run-scoring singles to push Morgan City’s lead to 6-0.
Assumption coach Kirk Delatte then made a pitching change, bringing in Tamra Johnson. Johnson walked Dwanna LeBeau, the first batter she faced, and after Verrett and LeBeau pulled off a double steal to move to second and third base during the at bat of Scottie Metrejean, Metrejean brought them home on a single to centerfield for an 8-0 advantage.
“Really and truly we walked a couple of people, but they hit the ball where we weren’t,” Delatte said of the second inning. “We didn’t make a bunch of errors. They put the ball where we weren’t. They did an excellent job today. They really did. Kid in the circle did an excellent job. They swung the bats well. It’s just they beat us today. They played well.”
Morgan City would score two more runs in the bottom of the third when Hebert scored on a ball that got by the catcher and LeBeau’s single to centerfield.
Assumption (14-11) had just three runners reach base in the game, none further than second base.
Keller said she thought it was good her team played Assumption because her team’s youth.
“It wasn’t really a true playoff game for us (because) they’ve seen them, so it wasn’t so overwhelming for us today,” she said. “I found my kids were a lot more relaxed, and I stressed ‘don’t make it bigger than it is. Don’t make it bigger than it is. You’ve beat them. … You can do it again.”
Morgan City totaled nine hits with seven of Morgan City’s nine hitters collecting at least a hit. Six of nine collected at least one RBI.
Hebert led the squad with a 2-for-2 performance with two RBIs and two runs. Other top contributors included Smith, 2-for-3, a run; LeBeau and Vincent, each 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run; Verrett, 1-for-3, two RBIs and two runs; Metrejean, 1-for-3, two RBIs; and Prado, an RBI and a run.
Morgan City now will return to action Saturday at 3 p.m. when it travels to face No. 4 Leesville, the No. 4 seed in Class 4A, who defeated No. 29 Franklin Parish 14-0 in five innings in first-round action Saturday.