Evangel wrapped up the District 1-3A softball title on Thursday with a 22-0 win over Mansfield.
The Lady Eagles (17-8, 4-0) are the No. 3 team in the LHSAA Class 3A power ratings and they looked every bit the part against the Lady Wolverines. Louisiana Tech-signee Carolina Sanchez struck out the side in the only inning she pitched.
“I feel like our season has gone pretty well so far. We have a lot of young players,” Sanchez said. “We lost our catcher (Rhyann Cisco) at Sulphur to a broken finger, so our third baseman had to move to catcher. That’s been an adjustment.”
Evangel started the game on a roll and kept on rolling. After walks to Shelby Salley and Emily Deramis, Sanchez singled aided by a three-base error, the Lady Eagles were ahead 3-0. Olivia Sessions, Salley, Kayla Calhoun and Whitney Usie also singled in the inning, while Usie also had a triple as Evangel sent 20 batters to the plate in the frame.
Also scoring for the Lady Eagles in the first inning were Liz Adams, Leanna Cooper and Blakley Cangemi.
“We’ve played a tough schedule for most of the season, which should help us when the playoffs come up down the road,” first-year Evangel coach Meghan Fisher said. “No. 3 isn’t a bad spot to be in, although we were No. 1 at one time.”
The Lady Wolverines couldn’t solve the pitching of Sanchez and Evangel freshman Claire McMillan, who pitched the second and third innings. While Mansfield didn’t manage a hit, Carrie Woodley, Jakeria Adkins, Destiny Howard and Ciara Watson put the ball in play in the second and third innings.
“We’re a program trying to rebuild,” Mansfield coach Al Jackson said. “We hadn’t won any games the past couple of years, but we have won two this year. All the credit for that goes to my assistants Chris Thomas and Locke Whitaker.”
The Lady Eagles, who made intentional outs to end both innings they batted, led 15-0 after one and added 7 more runs in the second off just two hits (Sessions and Deramis). Scoring were McMillan, Sessions, Bailee Pipes, Brooke Buckman, Tally Turnbow, Cooper and Cangemi.
Even though their district season is concluded, the Lady Eagles have regular season games remaining against Ruston, Sterlington, Neville, Pineville and Ouachita Christian.
