Delta Charter topped by Beekman Charter in LHSAA playoffs
Published 12:00 am Saturday, April 22, 2017
Beekman Charter scored six runs in the third inning and held on to beat Delta Charter 8-6 in the second round of the LHSAA Class 1A softball playoffs Friday, knocking the Storm out of the playoffs.
Beekman Charter’s rally was aided by a pair of Delta Charter (16-8) errors and two walks in the inning.
The Lady Tigers capitalized on the Storm miscues with a pair of two-run singles from Kateland Fulmer and Holleigh Johnson.
“We didn’t play defense, and we didn’t pitch well, and they hit,” DCS coach Jeannie Beach said. “This is the second worst game we played (for the year). We probably didn’t have all these (mental) errors added together all year long.”
Delta Charter had a 5-2 lead after two innings. Darby Beach and Cassie Haydel both scored runs in the first after a throwing error by the BCS catcher.
In the second, Haley Sharp had an RBI fielder’s choice and Jania Burns had a sacrifice fly. Beach highlighted the rally with a run-scoring double.
But the Storm would only manage one more run the rest of the way on a Shelbi McMnaus run-scoring ground out.
“We left plenty of people on base,” Beach said. “We didn’t get key hits.”
Burns took the loss for DCS as she went 3.0 innings allowing all eight runs, but only one of them was earned. She walked four batters.
“You have to be able to throw something (for a strike) other than a fastball, and she knows that,” Beach said. “You’re either going to be on or off, and we were off.”
Sharp came in for relief in the fourth and gave DCS a chance by striking out two batters and allowing zero runs over the final four frames.
Despite the loss, Beach said she is proud of what her squad was able to accomplish in its first season of being playoff eligible. The Storm won its opening round playoff game, 17-0, over Plain Dealing Tuesday.
“I’m excited,” Beach said. “We made it to the second round. I hate to lose, and I try to instill that in them. We wanted to keep going and get to Sulphur and experience that, but there’s always next year.”
DCS has five seniors departing from this year’s squad — Burns, Maecee Thornton, Laken Hood, Kaitlin Dooley and Shauneisha Crumpton.
“We’ll be coming back. I’m proud of them. We didn’t quit,” Beach said. “It was the first (playoffs) for the seniors, and they’re upset. But we’re telling the younger ones to remember this feeling and take it all in.”
LHSAA Class 1A playoffs
Second Round
BEEKMAN CHARTER 8, DELTA CHARTER 6
BCS 206 000 0 — 8 8 1
DCS 231 000 0 — 6 7 3
WP — Madison Risinger
LP — Jania Burns (3 IP, 1 ER, 2 Ks)
HITTERS — Burns (1B, 1 RBI), Darby Beach (1 1B, 1 2B, 1 RBI), Shelbi McManus (1 1B, 1 RBI), Laken Hood (1 1B), Maecee Thornton (1 1B), Skylar Bolyer (1 1B), Haley Sharp (RBI)
RECORD — DCS: 16-8
UP NEXT — DCS ends season