Lady Pirates win playoff game in dramatic fashion

KAPLAN - The Kaplan Lady Pirates had to do something they do not usually do - play small ball in order to win 4-2 in the second-round Class 3A playoffs.
Kaplan will be back in action Saturday at home against No. 6 Sterlington. The game time is 4 p.m.
With the wind blowing in, the Lady Pirates went nine innings and only produced one run against the Jena Giants, the defending Class 3A state champs.
Going into the bottom of the 10th inning, down 2-1, the Lady Pirates needed more than one run.
No. 8 hitter Chloe Harrington led off the bottom of the 10th inning with a single, which sparked new life into the Lady Pirates.
With a runner on first base and no outs, Kaplan head coach Brittany LeBeouf decided to play small ball. She put senior Lainnie Bourque into the batting lineup. She had not batted all game.
Bourque went to the plate for one purpose. Her job was to move pinch-runner London Greene over.
LeBeouf said she put Bourque in that situation because Bourque was Kaplan’s best bunter.
Bourque laid down a bunt-single on the first pitch. Greene went to third and Bourque darted to second on a throwing error.
“My job was to get the ball down to help my team, “ said Bourque. “I knew they were counting on me.”
Bourque said she prides herself on knowing how to bunt.
“I pride myself to make sure I do the little things right because when something like this happens, I know how to bunt.”
With Bourque and Greene on base, Kaplan’s best hitter walked up to the plate with two ducks on the pond and no outs.
Sophomore Kennedy Marceaux had not gotten a hit in three at-bats. Jena elected to pitch to her one final time. It was a big mistake.
Marceaux smashed a fastball ball over the center-field fence for a game-winning three-RBI home run. Game over.
This was Marceaux’s second home run in two playoff games. Many thought Marceaux would get a free pass to first base with first base open.
“There was a chance they could walk me, but they had to do whatever they had to do,” said Marceaux about getting a chance to swing. “I was a little surprised they did not walk me. When they decided to pitch to me, I was stoked. Pressure is a privilege. I love pressure. It is what makes the game fun.”