Hanson Lady Tigers blank St. Edmund, return to state tourney

FRANKLIN _ The Hanson Memorial Lady Tigers earned another trip to the State Tournament in Sulphur with a resounding 4-0 victory over the St. Edmund Lady Blue Jays of Eunice Saturday in the regional round of the State Class 1-A playoffs.
The No. 3-seeded Hanson Lady Tigers rode the arm of Sarah Sonnier, who tossed a four-hitter for the win in the circle.
Sonnier outdueled St. Ed’s Kasey LaFleur, who also went the distance but suffered the tough loss.
The victory allowed the Hanson Lady Tigers to advance to the Fastpitch 56 State Softball Tournament for the third straight season.
Hanson, which jumped out front by a 2-0 lead in the bottom half of the first inning, added two insurance runs in the bottom half of the fourth frame to secure the 4-0 lead win. The Lady Tigers struck for two runs in each of the first and fourth frames.
Sonnier, who led the Hanson Lady Tigers in the circle and at the plate, went the distance giving up no runs only four hits with five strikeouts and two walks. Sonnier notched the win in the circle after limiting the Lady Blue Jays to only four hits with only one extra base hit. She turned in a 2 for 3 effort with a run while batter for the Lady Tigers.
LaFleur was the hard-luck losing pitcher after she pitched six innings, allowing four runs on seven hits with one walk and no strikeouts.
Hanson broke a scoreless game when Kaylee Broussard and Paige Diamond crossed home plate in the first inning. Broussard worked the count to 2-2 before lining a single to shallow centerfield. Diamond singled to left field, putting runners on the base path. With two outs, Baylee Young lined a hard grounder to third base which was bobbled, allowing Broussard to score, giving Hanson a 1-0 lead. A short time later, Diamond crossed home plate on a passed ball, lifting Hanson out front by a 2-0 score.
Once the Lady Tigers secured the 2-0 lead, Sonnier continued her dominance in the circle and at the plate. Sonnier turned in another pitching gem as she silenced every threat the Lady Blue Jays would put forth while also receiving help from the Lady Tigers defense which came to her rescue when she got into trouble.
At one point, Sonnier tossed out four batters in a row when the ball was fielded by her before she made soft throws to Baylee Young at first base. Sonnier was so stingy, she didn’t allow a base runner to reach third base and only gave up a double and three singles on the day.
Hanson’s defense supported the four-hit pitching of Sonnier with only one error which came on a high-throw in the sixth frame. Left fielder Kaylee Broussard made two long range running catches, highlighting another solid defensive effort turned in by the Hanson Lady Tigers.
Hanson’s lead would swell to 4-0 in the bottom half of the fourth frame when Casey Fitzgerald _ who went 2 for 3 with one run _ doubled home Camille Baker who was the courtesy runner for Sarah Sonnier, giving Hanson a 3-0 lead. Lunden Verdin later brought home Fitzgerald as the Hanson Lady Tigers upped their lead to 4-0.
Sarah Sonnier appeared to get stronger as the game went on. In the top half of the fourth frame, she recorded a strikeout and consecutive throw outs, sitting the Lady Blue Jays down in order.
In the top half of the fifth inning, the Lady Blue Jays mounted a huge threat with a pair of base runners only to have Hanson shortstop Allyssa Young snuff out the rally with terrific fielding.
After Sonnier fielded her fourth straight grounder for one out, Allysa Young fired a high-throw to first base where Baylee Young came down with the ball in time for the second out. St. Edmund’s Maggie Larriverre and Abbie Miller lined consecutive hits, putting runners in scoring position. Hanson shortstop Allyssa Young put an end to the rally when she fielded a soft grounder by Heidi Bieber to end the threat.
Sarah Sonnier went 2 for 3 with a run while Casey Fitzgerald was 2 for 3 with one run and one RBI to lead the Lady Tigers. Kaylee Broussard turned in a 1 for 3 effort with one run while Paige Diamond went 1 for 3 with one run and Lunden Verdin was 1 for 3 with one RBI.