Cedar Creek stops HMS Lady Tigers

SULPHUR _ A bout with early game nervous tension caused the Hanson Memorial Lady Tigers to commit five errors, opening the door for the Cedar Creek Lady Cougars to gain a 3-0 victory here Friday at the All-State Sugar Bowl/LHSAA Fast Pitch 56 Tournament.
The Hanson Memorial High School Lady Tigers uncharacteristically committed three errors in the bottom of the first inning which enabled Cedar Creek to post a 3-0 lead in the quarterfinal battle.
An emotional HMS Coach Brittany Broussard didn’t feel that the turf was the reason for her team dealing with a bout of early game nervousness.
“We came out and got nervous,” Broussard said. “I don’t think it was the turf, because we practiced on the turf yesterday and we practiced on it again before game. It might have been nerves because there are a lot of eyes on you here.”
The combination of playing on an artificial surface along with the heat may have caused both teams problems in the first frame.
The defending state champion Cedar Creek had to recover from a bout of nervousness also in the contest.
Cedar Creek committed a pair of errors in the first inning of which the Hanson Lady Tigers couldn’t capitalize on.
Hanson’s Allysa Young and Paige Diamond reached on consecutive errors, putting runners in scoring position. However, the Lady Tigers could not score and the Lady Cougars made good on their opportunities in the bottom half of the first frame.
Cedar Creek pitcher Mary Terral lined a single before Haley Gray and Katelin Cooper were retired in order. With two outs, Lady Cougars Anna Roberson and Elizabeth Kate Pardue reached on errors, sending Cedar Creek out to a 1-0 lead. A short time later, Allie Rambin laced a single and the Lady Cougar moved outfront by a 3-0 score.
After both teams took their turns in battling with the bad hops on the turf, both pitchers turned in outstanding performances the rest of the way.
Mary Terral picked up the mound victory after she didn’t allow a run while striking out 11 and giving up only five hits.
Hanson pitcher Sarah Sonnier turned in another outstanding performance, allowing three unearned runs on eight hits with three strikeouts.
No. 3 seed Cedar Creek moved to 27-4 on the season while the No. 6 seed Hanson Memorial Lady Tigers finished their season with a 15-10 overall record.