By Tom Dodge

sportsenews@bellsouth.net



In what turned out to be a long hot outing at the ball park, STAC tied Acadiana High and dropped a close decision to Iowa in a one-day round robin Monday at Eunice High.

STAC jumped out to a 3-0 first inning lead against the visitors from Scott, but then had to mount a late-inning rally to force a 6-6 tie.

Camille Faul and Sarah Hebert opened the game with back-to-back walks.

Blaire Fusilier then singled to left field to drive in Faul, while Hebert scored on a sacrifice RBI by Emily Turner.

STAC increased their lead to 3-0 over the Dirty Dozen when Fusilier crossed home plate on a single by Kay Kay Devillier.

Acadiana tied the game with a three-run rally in the top of the second inning, begun when Ashley Boustany walked and later scored on a passed ball.

Lauren Guidry singled and Dana Pomier drew a second walk and the duo scored on Morgan Guidry ‘s 2-RBI single to even the game at 3-3.

After a scoreless third inning, the Dirty Dozen grabbed a 6-3 lead when Morgan Guidry singled, Sommer Lopez reached on a fielder’s choice and Chelsea Malcolm ripped an inside-the-park home run down the right field line.

STAC closed the gap to 6-4 in the bottom of the fourth inning when Courtney Fontenot was hit by a pitch and scored on a sacrifice from Brittany Faul.

STAC tied the game in the bottom of the fifth and final inning when Camille Faul walked and scored on a sacrifice from Fusilier and then Hebert reached on a fielder’s choice and touched home plate on a single by Emily Turner.

STAC pitchers combined for three strikeouts, four walks, two hitbatsmen and allowed eight hits against Acadiana.

In the finale, Iowa scored a run on an error to grab a 1-0 win over STAC.

After a scoreless first inning, Conner Theriot was hit by a pitch and then with two outs pinch runner Alexi Miller scored from second base when a pickoff attempt sailed into centerfield.

That one miscue proved to be the difference in the game as STAC pitchers Kirsten West and Jori Lejeune combined for three hits with nine strikeouts, a walk and a hitbatsman.

West struck out the side in the top of the fourth inning, while Lejeune recorded two strikeouts in Iowa’s final three batters.

Fusilier reached on an error in the bottom of the first inning and she recorded STAC’s only hit in the bottom of the fifth inning as the Iowa pitchers combined for six strikeouts with no walks in the 1-0 decision.

“It is fantastic for our girls to see quality competition this summer,” STAC coach Liz Hebert said. “The young players are getting experience and the older players are learning to handle the pressure of battling back from a deficit.”

After participating in LSU’s camp on Tuesday, STAC travels to Avoyelles 6 p.m. today.