Vikings Lose Lead,End Season
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
It certainly wasn’t the way the Opelousas Catholic softball team expected to end the postseason.
After grabbing a six-run early lead, OCS was held scoreless during the final four at-bats Tuesday at Scotty Speyrer Memorial Field as St. John-Plaquemine scored eight unanswered runs to eliminate the Vikings 10-8 in a Division IV Select playoff game.
“We hit the ball real well during the first half of the game. Then we stopped hitting the rest of the way,” said Vikings’ head softball coach Chris Schexnayder.
The eighth-seeded Vikings led 8-2 at the end of the fourth, as several St. John errors and OCS hitting provided the substantial early advantage.
Then the OCS bats were silenced after No. 9 St. John inserted reliever Courtlynn Alexander into the circle.
Alexander, who began the game at first base, struck out four batters in the sixth and seventh, while the Eagles received the final four runs off homers by Gracelynn Anderson and Aubrey Purpera.
Anderson launched a shot over the right-centfield fence with a three-run, sixth inning homer that provided the Eagles with a 9-8 lead – their first advantage of the game.
In the seventh, Purpera sent the first pitch from Jordan White over the fence to provide the final comeback runs for St. John.
Early Lead
The Vikings cruised to the six-run lead behind the pitching of Aysia Francis.
Francis limited the Eagles to three hits during the first four innings, but in the fifth St. John scored four runs off three hits and two walked batters that also scored runs.
In addition to the three-run blast by Anderson, Francis also allowed a double and another walk, as both of those runners also scored in the sixth.
Catch Kale Lormand help provide OCS with a 3–0 lead with a two-run third inning homer.
After the Eagles scored twice in the third, OCS extended the lead with four runs in the third.
St. John committed two errors and the Vikings received offensive assistance from a Remi Bihm double, a single by Taylor Miller and a Francis triple.
Emma Ludeau knocked in White for the final OCS run after White doubled.
Schexnayder the season, which started 0-6, was intriguing.
“It’s been quite an experience and quite a ride,” said Schexnayder said.
