Rodrick Anderson

SULPHUR — Rosepine senior Chloe Bennett and Doyle’s Marley Olivier locked into a pitchers’ duel Friday in the Class 2A semifinals of the state softball tournament.

Bennett struck out 16 batters, but Olivier held the big-hitting Eagles to five hits, and the Tigers scored the game’s lone run in the eighth inning.

“People got their money’s worth today,” Rosepine head coach Glenn Granger said. “Like I told the coach from Doyle, it is a shame somebody had to lose.”

With one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, Doyle’s Addison Contomo hit a single and reached third on an error. Granger called two intentional walks to load the bases in hopes of getting two force outs or a double play to extend the game, but Elise Jones lofted a fly ball deep enough to center field to allow Contomo to tag up and score the winner.

“With a runner at third, no matter what she would do, a ground ball to this side would score, a long fly they are going to tag up and score,” Granger explained. “I was hoping that loading the bases that a grounder would make a play at home.

“But (Jones) did her job. She flew out deep enough to score the run.”

Bennett had a one-hitter going through five innings and struck out the side in the fourth and fifth inning. She got out of a jam with runners in scoring position in the sixth and seventh innings with back-to-back strikeouts.

“(Bennett) has the heart of a lion,” Granger said. “She is itty-bitty, but I tell you what, in a fight, in a game, you can’t ask for a better pitcher on the mound.

“She is going to do real well at LSU-Eunice.”

Rosepine (28-4) played in the semifinals for the second time since 2018, which also ended in a loss to Doyle (29-5). All four Rosepine’s losses were to No. 1 seeds or teams that reached the finals.

“It was a great season,” Granger said. “I just wish we could go one more day.

“Twenty-eight-and-4 is not a bad year. We played some great teams throughout the year. We played Class 5A No. 1 West Monroe. We played Iowa, and they are playing in the championship (today). Many is playing in the championship. That is our three (regular-) season losses. I am very pleased on the senior this year.”

Rosepine had its chances, getting the leadoff batter on in the first, fourth, fifth and seventh innings but never got a runner to third base. Rosepine hit into an inning-ending double play in the fifth and seventh.

“We battled,” Granger said. “That is all I can say.

“They have a great team, and their pitcher is really good. The last time I heard, they had nine seniors. They have a senior-laden team, and we have three. Hopefully, we will be back next year.”

Rosepine’s Shelby Deason delivers a hit against Doyle during a Class 2A semifinal at the state softball tournament Friday at North Frasch Park in Sulphur. Doyle scored the game’s lone run in eight innings.

Kirk Meche / Special to the American Press