Box Score
PINEVILLE - Dreams die hard. And a big dream died painfully for the Louisiana College softball team Monday.
For a second straight day, the Lady Wildcats failed to make key plays on defense or get key hits on offense and found themselves on the short end of the 2-0 score against East Texas Baptist University in the winner-take-all finale of the NCAA Division III Regional hosted by LC in front of 1,198 fans.
As the Wildcats players made their way off the field following the final out, it didn't take long for the tears to start flowing. This team that had accomplished so much - American Southwest Conference champs, the current No. 1-ranked team in Division III - but the one goal they prized more than any other - making it to Eau Claire, Wisconsin for the D-3 World Series had been taken away by an ETBU team that pardon the cliche' did, indeed, seemed destined to win.
"They had momentum," said LC senior Jodi Montagnino. "Not to say they wanted it more than us, but they got out there and they played with a lot of heart. If we lost to anybody, I'm glad it was them because they have a really great team. I hope they go on to win the World Series."
Gracious words from one of the best players to ever put on an LC uniform, especially in light of the fact Montagnino had just played her final game.
But as the LC coaches and players reflected on this game, one thing stood out. In the two games ETBU won, including Sunday's 3-2 decision, all five runs were unearned.
The key inning Monday was the fourth when LC starter, junior Kelly Williams, retired the first two ETBU hitters but then suddenly lost her control and walked Rebecca Young and Alicia Wright - especially painful as Wright had not gotten a hit the entire tournament. Meghan Fisher followed with a single to left to load the bases, still with two outs. And, it appeared Williams had gotten out of it when she got catcher Lya Swaner to ground to Devan Greene at third, but Greene's throw to first sailed over the glove of Aimbee Dubroc. The error, which was credited to Greene but could have possibly gone to Dubroc, allowed Young and Wright to score what proved to be the only runs of the game.
"I have to give them credit," LC coach Tim Whitman said when asked about the deciding play. "The put the ball in play and put pressure on us. We made some mistakes... it just didn't happen today. But I have to give credit to ETBU. They played well."
That error spoiled an otherwise dazzling performance for Williams who fell to 1-1 for the tournament, 11-4 for the season. She gave up only three hits for the game while striking out one batter. The only two walks she gave up came in the fateful fourth inning, but Williams did all she could and more to justify Whitman's decision to send her to the mound for the deciding game rather than the 27-3 Rene' Schwartzenburg who had suffered a similar fate - three unearned runs - the day before.
"Kelly was 4-0 in Regional play going into this thing," Whitman said. "We felt like she would pitch well, and she did. I thought it was the right decision. I still think it was the right decision."
One the other side, ETBU coach Janae Schlabs-Shirley stuck with her same pitcher from Sunday. Senior Ayrika Henderson had pitched 11 innings the day before and had gotten the 3-2 win over LC despite giving up a 2-run home run to Montagnino. On Monday, she was not quite as dominant but equally effective as the Lady Wildcats could only get three hits, one walk and most importantly, no runs off Henderson who picked up her 3rd win of the weekend. Sophomore Alicia Wright came in to work the final two innings as the two pitchers worked every inning of all six games ETBU played at the Regional.
LC's best scoring opportunity came in the 5th inning. With one out, freshman Meggie Burkett, pinch-hitting for Amber Thomas, beat out an infield single. After a pop-out from Dubroc, lead-off hitter Brittany Menard worked the only walk Henderson would give up. That set the table for senior Mary Alice Roy, the ASC East player-of-the-year, who had struggled hitting in the Regional. Roy smashed a Henderson pitch to deep left-center field, but ETBU's senior center fielder, Porsha Harrison, was able to run it down with a backhanded catch that saved two sure runs and would have had Roy in scoring position for Montagnino.
The Lady Wildcats went quietly in the 6th inning, but in the 7th had another one of those costly moments. After Allison Frye flied out to left, freshman pinch-hitter Amanda Martin slapped a base hit down the left field line. Perhaps out of inexperience, Martin headed for second base, only to be gunned down by Adrienne Meier for the second out of the inning and effectively end any hope of an LC rally.
"It was just miscommunication," Whitman said. "You don't take the extra chance when you're not the tying run. She's young. We preach aggressiveness at all times and maybe she was a little too aggressive. But you gotta give her credit. She came in as a freshman and got a big hit. They just made a great play on her."
Following the play, LC was down to its final out. Whitman decided to pinch hit for the struggling Dubroc with another freshman Alex Kirkikis. But Wright struck her out to end the game. And as the ETBU bench erupted in celebration, the LC players stood in stunned sadness. The dream, at least for this year, had come to an end.
"I told my girls, we're so blessed," Montagnino said after the game with tears causing her eye-black to smear. "There are so many teams that would beg to be in our position. We have a great team, great coaches, great fans. As much as it hurts, and we're upset we didn't win, it's been a great season and so much fun.
"We made it to the Regional. We made it to the championship game. We won a conference championship. That's not a bad season."
Not bad at all. It just ended a week too early.
To read a year-in-review, click here.
Al Quartemont is a professor of journalism at Louisiana College and the faculty sponsor for The Wildcat, Louisiana College's campus newspaper. To read more of The Wildcat online, visit wildcatsmedia.com/
