PINEVILLE, La. — The Ferriday Gators didn’t need extra innings or outstanding defensive gems to stay undefeated and advance at the Louisiana Dixie Debs State Tournament.

It only took five innings for Ferriday to defeat the Madisonville Dixie Debs 15-3 in a winners’ bracket game Sunday afternoon thanks to a pair of two-run home runs by Kennedy Beard.

“Madisonville scored two runs in the top of the first inning. We answered with six in the bottom of the first,” Ferriday head coach Rut Horne said. “Everybody hit really well. Defense was well. Pitching was really good.”

Beard hit her first home run of the game over the centerfield fence in the bottom of the second inning. Her second homer took place just an inning later. Beard went 2-for-2 in the game with the four runs batted in.

“(Saturday) she did it with her glove. Today she did with her bat. Kennedy’s got a hot bat,” Horne said.

Laura Perilloux was the winning pitcher as she gave up two runs on four hits and one walk and she struck out one batter in three innings. Ginny Daggett had an RBI triple in the bottom of the third inning. She also pitched two innings of relief and allowed one run on two hits with one strikeout.

“I was glad to see Ginny pitch some. She pitched the fourth and fifth innings. She pitched really well,” Horne said.

Mollie Devening also went 2-for-2 while Marty Lewis and Savannah Johnston each went 3-for-4 and Ellen Bairnsfather was 2-for-3.

Ferriday Dixie Belles 8, Madisonville 5

MARRERO, La. — After a lengthy weather delay that pushed back the start of Day 2 of the Louisiana Dixie Belles State Tournament, play finally got under way between the Ferriday and Madisonville in an elimination game late Sunday morning.

After the game got going at 11 a.m., two hours later than originally scheduled, Ferriday took control of the game and led Madisonville 8-2 with a runner on first base and two outs in the top of the fifth inning. Unfortunately, play was halted at 1 p.m. as more heavy rain and thunderstorms rolled through the New Orleans metropolitan area. The game would not start back up until 5 p.m.

Madisonville tried to come back in the latter innings of the game, but Ferriday managed to hold on for the win and stay alive in the tournament.

Bailey Book picked up the win after allowing two runs on six hits and three walks with four strikeouts in five innings. Jania Burns gave up three runs on just one hit with two walks and two strikeouts in two innings of relief.

“The pitching was much better today and the defense was much better today. We played like we have played this season,” Ferriday Dixie Belles head coach Jeanie Beach said. “The pitchers did a good job picking their spots and controlling the spin. We had a long day because we had two rain delays.”

Book helped her cause by going 2-for-3 at the plate, Darby Beach went 2-for-4, and Megan Naquin and Maecee Thornton each had a double.

The Ferriday Dixie Belles take on Winnsboro at 9:30 a.m. today.