Dutchtown’s big third, sixth innings answer, hold off Sulphur in opening round

Dutchtown managed timely answers throughout Friday’s playoff opener against Sulphur — at the plate, in the circle and in the field.

But none were bigger than the third inning when the No. 12 Lady Griffins (18-13) ran down a base-runner to end the No. 21 Lady Tors’ first big punch at two runs and then struck right back with five runs of their own on their way to a 7-6 win and the second round of the Division-I Non-Select bracket.

“It’s huge — we’re setting the tone,” Dutchtown coach Nancy Ensminger said of the immediate and pivotal rally. “That’s what I said: Set the tone. Start early. Don’t wait until we get behind. Set the tone early. And that’s what they did.

Sulphur (15-14) had found ways to avoid the Lady Griffins capitalizing on a pair of early miscues, but was not so forgiving when a bobbled ball at short allowed its third-inning leadoff batter aboard safely.

The Lady Tors loaded the bases with a subsequent single and intentional walk and eventually scratched the first two runs onto the scoreboard on a bit of a seeing-eye, two-out single up the middle by sophomore third baseman Maggie McNemar that set off a rapid sequence around the diamond.

Freshman courtesy-runner Abby Stevens and senior second baseman Mariah Davis both came home, but Dutchtown sophomore third baseman Sophia English managed to chase down another runner on the way back to second base to end the threat there.

The Lady Griffins quickly put a pair of their own on base as senior center fielder Anna White and senior left fielder Jenna Blanchard reached on an erred throw and a single to right, respectively. And English brought the first home on an eight-pitch battle of an at-bat on which she eventually pulled a ball to left field.

“At first, she was pitching outside, and I was just trying to sit on it and try to foul it off and then saw an inside pitch, sat and just crushed it,” English said. “It was a change-up.”

Dutchtown was just getting started.

Freshman second baseman Grace Berteau and sophomore designated player Paisley Berry put a couple hard hit balls into the field that Sulphur had trouble playing in right and at short.

Berteau’s big swing brought both Blanchard and English home before she was eventually thrown at the plate for the second out of the inning.

And senior first baseman Brooke Vicknair came up behind Berry and launched a second-pitch bomb over the left-field fence to double the lead to extend the lead the 5-2.

“My first at-bat, I struggled on the inside pitch, so I got a little off the plate and just focused in on just crushing the inside pitch,” she said. “And I felt like it helped. As soon as I got off the box, I just saw the ball well… It felt great. I’m just trying to do what’s for my team, and in that moment we really just get back in our lead.”

The Lady Tors rallied enthusiastically as they returned to the dugout with one voice exclaiming, “Giving up is NOT an option!” And they never did.

Sulphur trimmed the deficit with a run each in the fourth and sixth innings.

Junior shortstop Maliyah Navarre roped a pitch to right-center for a one-out single in the fourth and eventually scored on a tough-to-play ball Davis hit to between defenders and out-ran the play at first.

Navarre then launched a homer just inside the left-field foul pole to lead off the sixth and pull the Tors within 5-4.

But, again, Dutchtown had the necessary answer, highlighted by a couple of standouts breaking out of 0-for-3 starts to provide critical hits.

Junior shortstop Caroline Johnson doubled to right-center to start the bottom half of the inning, and White drew a walk to join her on base.

Both came home a couple at-bats later on an English groundout and a single to left by junior catcher Kailey Wilson to push the advantage out to 7-4.

“Her last at-bat was definitely clutch,” Ensminger said of Wilson. “I knew this team at some big bats, too, but we left too many runners in scoring position. That was the thing I was disappointed with more than anything. The first two innings I know runners were at second and third with less than two outs (in the second), so it’s important to do your job and bring those runs in. We’ve been practicing that, too.”

A fielding miscue put Davis aboard to open the seventh inning, and sophomore first baseman Aubree Thomson knocked a two-run homer over the left-center wall to put Sulphur right back on Dutchtown’s heels, 7-6.

But Johnson and junior pitcher Riley Rabon fielded back-to-back pitches and threw runners out at first to shut the door and send the Lady Griffins to the second round against a familiar foe.

“Once the hit the home run, I just tried to remember to stay calm and focus on the batters at the plate,” Rabon said. “And once I got the groundball, I knew to stay calm and just make a good throw to first and get the last at.”

Rabon struck out eight in the complete-game victory and pointed to her curveball as a critical weapon in helping slow down a talented Lady Tors lineup enough to survive and advance.

“I thought Riley did great,” Ensminger said. “I felt like he squeezed her a little tight on the inside and kind of took away that pitch from her. But for the most part I thought she did a great job and kept ’em off balance. They did hit a few out, but besides that they got a couple little dink hits that we didn’t make those plays. But overall I thought she did a great job. She hit her spots.”

Dutchtown will take the short trip to No. 5 St. Amant (23-8) as the next step in a quadrant of the bracket that for the first time in history has all three Ascension Parish rivals among four teams vying for a single semifinal spots as No. 4 East Ascension (20-8) also hosts No. 13 Airline (18-11).

The Griffins’ and Gators’ date Tuesday at 5 p.m. will be their third of the season with the home teams winning the previous meetings: St. Amant, 16-6, on March 12, and Dutchtown, 12-11, on April 7.

“One game at a time,” Ensminger said. “I’m not looking too far ahead. Just finished with this game, now it’s the next opponent. Yes, it’s St. Amant, but we’re gonna get ’em ready.”