Lady Eagles expect pitching duel against Ascension Catholic

Central Catholic High School faces a familiar foe in the quarterfinals action Friday in Sulphur at Frasch Park.
CCHS (23-3), the fourth-seed, will battle Ascension Catholic (20-3), the fifth-seed, the team that ended the Lady Eagles’ season last year.
Ascension Catholic beat Central Catholic, 5-0, in the semifinals last year in a pitching duel.
Both standout pitchers are back for a rematch.
Central Catholic’s ace Megan Landry returns to Sulphur after another outstanding season. The Nicholls State signee has more than 300 strikeouts in 2015 including 12-strikeouts in the second-round win over False River and 11K’s in the first-round win over Logansport.
“We know what we’re facing in Ascension Catholic,” Central Catholic coach Joe Russo said. “They’re a very solid team but all we need from Megan is what she’s given us all year. She will throw the ball where I want it.”
Landry thrives on pressure and she’s pitched in the state tournament three straight years.
“I love pressure. I like to have the opportunity to show that I don’t crack under pressure,” Landry said after pitching the Lady Eagles to Sulphur last week. “I have faith that if I practiced hard, then I would come through in the game and it seems like God has rewarded me for that hard work.”
In last season’s game, Landry surrendered five runs on eight hits with one walk and 11 strikeouts.
Ascension Catholic standout Julia Beck threw a one-hitter with three walks and 12 strikeouts.
Beck played a big part in the Lady Bulldogs being one of just two teams to sweep their respective districts without allowing a single run.
Ascension Catholic outscored Ascension Christian, East Iberville, St. John, West St. John and White Castle by a combined 144-0 margin in 10 games to win the District 8-1A championship. Cedar Creek, who beat Ascension Catholic in last year’s state title game, swept through District 1-1A as well.
“We put an emphasis on being more disciplined at the plate,” Russo said. “Beck throws a good rise ball and if we can recognize that pitch and lay off of it, we’ll put ourselves in good position to win the game.
“Last year, we chased that ball out of the strike zone and that really hurt us. That game came down to every pitch so you have to be disciplined. There are no outs to give away.”
Ascension Catholic beat Ecole Classique 15-0 in the first-round of the playoffs and blanked South Cameron 10-0 in the second. The Lady Bulldogs are on a 16-game win streak.
“They’re a good team, they hit well, and they pitch well. They are solid all the way around, they won’t beat themselves and their coaches know the game, so they make good in game adjusts,” Russo said. “And we have all of that as well, we just have to lineup and play our A-game and see where the chips fall.”
First pitch is noon Friday on Field 18.
Admission is $10 per session. A $15 tournament pass is available on Saturday that is good for both sessions that day.
—By CORWIN MURRAY
—Nola.com contributed to this story.