Hanson Memorial

FRANKLIN – The young Hanson Memorial softball team isn’t hesitant to take on any and all challengers.

The Lady Tigers went 0-2 over the weekend at the St. Thomas More Tournament held at St. Julien Park in Broussard, but the experience was worth it at an event that featured several teams that reached the 2023 state tournament.

The Lady Tigers lost to Class 5A Acadiana, which reached the 2023 Division I select quarterfinals, and Class 4A Teurlings Catholic, which is 17-9 and No. 7 in the Division II select power ratings.

“It will prepare them for what we’re going to see in the postseason,” HMS coach Paige Louviere said. “I don’t want to just play teams we know we’re going to beat.”

The Lady Tigers, who are 5-15 overall and 2-4 in District 7-1A with regular season games remaining against Lafayette High and Delcambre, should be a lock to make the playoffs in Division IV select where they’re No. 23 in the power ratings.

“The girls have exceeded my expectations,” Louviere said. “We’re very, very young. My pitching is there, but when the ball gets put into play, you can tell where we’re inexperienced.”

Louviere said sophomore pitcher Onnie Doucet is averaging between 8-10 strikeouts per game. Doucet, who bats clean-up, is hitting .519 with five doubles and 15 RBIs and has struck out only one time.

Five players are hitting over .300: Camren Rochel (.500 BA, 10 2BH, two HR, 11 RBIs), Emma Pitre (.500, six 2BH, one HR, 12 RBIs), Laila Hidalgo (.312, four 2BH, 11 RBIs), Madison Trosclair (.303, 2BH, two 3BH, 13 RBIs), and Doucet. Leadoff hitter Claire Childres has seven stolen bases.

Hanson has scored in bunches in their wins, totaling 73 runs with double-digit outings in all but one game, an 8-5 win over Westgate. More recently, the Lady Tigers took down Class 4A St. Michael in Baton Rouge by a score of 10-6.

Hanson had 15 hits in the come-from-behind win over St. Michael, rallying from a 3-0 deficit by scoring five runs in both the third and sixth innings.

Doucet and Childres led the way with three hits apiece. Pitre and Rochel had two hits apiece, and each doubled. Childres also doubled. Trosclair and Pitre each drove in a pair of runs.

Doucet got the win in the circle, allowing only two earned runs with 14 strikeouts while pitching a complete game.

The Lady Tigers scored a season high in a three-inning 24-5 district win over Jeanerette. Trosclair had three hits, two triples and five RBIs. Hildalgo and Pitre scored four runs apiece.

Childres was the winning pitcher, allowing two hits and no earned runs with seven strikeouts.

“We lost five seniors from last year. We knew coming into this season we’d be young. It’s all sophomores and two freshmen,” said Louviere, who is excited about her team’s short and long-term growth.

“For me, the future is here.”