Big stick: Broncos power way to title game with four homers
Published 9:10 am Saturday, April 29, 2023
- Sam Houston’s Brylie Fontenot is greeted at home plate by teammates after hitting a solo home run against Live Oak in the fifth inning during the a nonselect Division I semifinal Friday at Frasch Park in Sulphur. (Kirk Meche / Special to the American Press)
SULPHUR — Sam Houston used the long ball to build a lead and hung on during the last inning of a 6-3 win over Live Oak Friday in a nonselect Division I semifinal at the state softball tournament at Frasch Park.
The win sent the Broncos (31-2) to the championship game for the first time since winning the 2015 state championship.
They will play No. 1 St. Amant, a 13-1 winner in five innings over No. 4 West Monroe.
The Broncos scored every run on a home run, blasting four dingers. Aubrey Hobbs delivered the biggest, a three-run homer in the fifth inning to put Sam Houston ahead 5-1.
Live Oak (31-5) pulled to within 5-3 with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Broncos pitcher Lexi Dibbley hit a solo homer in the top of the seventh inning to give the Broncos a little more breathing room.
It looked as if they would need it after the Eagles loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the inning on singles by Raelee Clark and Kameran Kent and a walk by Ava Kate Phillips.
Dibbley got the final out on a grounder to second following a visit to the circle by head coach Beth Domingue.
“I asked if she was OK and she said ‘Yes,’ ” Domingue said. “She just needed a breather. We just needed to keep the ball in front of us and make a play.”
Sam Houston never trailed, taking the lead in the second inning on a solo home run by Jolie Dore that bounced off the top of the left-field wall.
Live Oak loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth but managed one run after the Broncos got back-to-back outs at the plate on fielder’s choice grounders. Jeanne Janise scored the run on a wild pitch.
Sam Houston took control in the fifth. Brylie Fontenot led off with a long homer to center. Carolina Eidson reached on an infield single and Dibbley walked before Hobbs’ homer put Sam Houston ahead for good.
“Early in the game we weren’t being very aggressive,” Domingue said. “We had taken some bad cuts, had some defensive swings. Once we got more aggressive, things clicked.”
Eidson and three hits and Dore added two for the Broncos. Kent and Phillips had two hits each for the Eagles.
