By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur
ST. AMANT – Before last weekend, St. Charles coach Ty Monica said that his Comets hadn’t been truly tested since an early win over Hannan, and that the St. Amant tournament would go a long way in revealing the strength of his team.
Suffice to say, Monica is quite pleased after St. Charles took wins in all three of its tournament games, defeating False River, Zachary and H.L. Bourgeois.
“The biggest thing was that we played three seven inning games over the weekend, which we hadn’t done,” said Monica, alluding to a recent five game string of 10 and 15-run rule victories for his team. “We also showed a lot of toughness. Every time a team cut our lead to one or tied it, our girls responded in a big way.”
Chelsea Loupe was the hero in St. Charles’ 5-4 victory over False River. Loupe socked a two-run home run in the seventh inning to lift her team to victory, serving up one of the “responses” that Monica alluded to. False River had rallied back from a 3-0 deficit and tied the game with a two-run homer of its own in the sixth inning.
It was also a bounce back moment for her, Monica said, after the senior came up short in an early at-bat.
“We had the bases loaded with one out and Chelsea and Destiny due up,” said Monica. “We’re up 3-0 and we think we’re about to break things wide open. We didn’t get the ball out the infield, so we were a little upset.
“But wouldn’t you know it, she came up in a big spot again. She made her second chance count … We always say that adversity reveals character. Well, Chelsea was challenged again and she came through.”
The Comets (9-1) started the inning with a runner on second due to tournament rules; if the teams were tied after six innings, the seventh was to be contested under Olympic tiebreaker, which says each team begins with a runner on second base.
Loupe finished the game 2 for 4 with two runs scored. Destiny Wesley went 2 for 4. Emily Triche was 1 for 3 with two RBIs.
Loupe earned the win on the mound, going all seven innings and allowing four runs on three hits and four walks. She struck out five.
The Comets pounded out 13 hits against H.L. Bourgeois en route to a 9-2 victory.
Karli Terrio (two runs, RBI), Paige Williams (two runs), Loupe (two RBIs, run), Wesley (two RBIs) each went 2 for 3 at the plate. Triche went 1 for 2 with two RBIs.
Loupe earned the win, allowing one hit and walking two over four innings.
She struck out four. Brittany Lambert pitched the final three innings and allowed one earned run on three hits .
Against Zachary, St. Charles scored two runs in the fifth and three in the sixth to break open a 2-1 lead, finishing with a 7-1 win.
Jessica Mire went 2 for 3 with two RBIs for St. Charles. Loupe went 2 for 5 with two RBIs. Triche was 2 for 3 with an RBI and Terrio went 2 for 4.
Loupe picked the complete game, allowing one earned run on four hits and four walks. She struck out eight Zachary batters.