Perfect 10: Dibbley, Broncos blank Bucs
Published 2:15 pm Wednesday, April 7, 2021
Warren Arceneaux
MOSS BLUFF — Sam Houston rode a dominant pitching performance from Lexi Dibbley and a balanced offensive attack to beat Barbe 8-0 Tuesday in a District 3-5A showdown.
The win was the 10th straight for Sam Houston (22-4, 10-1), which can clinch a share of the district title by winning its last district game Thursday at Lafayette. Barbe (23-2, 9-1) can also earn a share of the title by winning at home against Southside Thursday in its last district game.
Dibbley allowed two hits, one to the first batter of the game and the other in the seventh inning, and did not allow a runner to advance past second base.
Broncos head coach Beth Domingue said the sophomore is gaining confidence in the command of her pitches.
“She’s good when she is pounds the strike zone, when she trusts herself and does not try to be too careful,” Domingue said. “She was great today. They had some hard-hit balls that either we were positioned well or made a nice play on.
“They are a great hitting team; they are going to square some balls up. Lexi trusted the defense to make plays.”
Dibbley drove in the Broncos’ first run, doubling to score Kaylee Cooper in the bottom of the first inning. Baylie Fontenot added an RBI single later in the inning and Kamryn Lafosse and Fontenot hit solo home rums in the second and third innings to stretch the lead to 4-0.
The Broncos finished with 13 hits and scored in five of the six innings they hit. Five hitters had two or more hits, including outfielder Erin Ardoin, who reached base on all three trips to the plate in her first game back from an injury.
In the first game against Barbe, a 12-5 Bucs win, the Broncos struck out 12 times. In the rematch, they cut that number to two.
“We had much better at-bats, even our strikeouts we competed better,” Domingue said. “We weren’t just up there swinging.
“Today was one of the hardest times I’ve had trying to make a lineup. We got Erin back and there were a few on the bench I would have liked to get in. That’s a good feeling as a coach, to know that every inning we can go out there and do something.”
Mary Baldwin led Sam Houston with three hits. Cooper, Dibbley, Fontenot, and Ardoin each had two.
Kylie Dehart and Alaina Mark each had a single for the Bucs.
Sam Houston’s Erin Ardoin connects with the pitch as the knob of her bat comes off against Barbe during a District 3-5A softball game Tuesday in Moss Bluff. Ardoin had two hits in the Broncos’ 8-0 victory.
Sam Houston’s Lexi Dibbley pitches a two-hit shutout against Barbe Tuesday in Moss Bluff. Dibble struck out six.
