Red-Hot Finish: Dutchtown’s softball team ends regular season on 14-game winning streak with 6-0 win over St. Amant

by William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor

St. Amant softball coach Amy Pitre knew the level of play arch-rival Dutchtown had shown going into Monday’s District 5-5A showdown.

The Lady Griffins maintained that red-hot standard, shutting out the Lady Gators at home for the first time this season, and making a statement for postseason play.

Senior pitcher Abby Froelich led Dutchtown in the circle, firing a two-hit shutout, and was part of a five-run uprising in the fourth inning, which led Dutchtown to a 6-0 victory over St. Amant at Clark Lambert Field.

“I knew they had a 13-game win streak and they’ve been playing some quality ball,” Pitre said of Dutchtown.

Dutchtown (22-9, 9-3 in 5-5A) earned a share of the league’s championship with St. Amant (21-8, 9-3), increasing its winning streak to 14 games.

The LHSAA will release its pairings on Wednesday with the top six seeded teams receiving first-round byes – a place No. 3 St. Amant and No. 4 Dutchtown currently find themselves occupying.

“It’s definitely big because we’re at their house,” Froelich said. “It’s a completely different ballgame compared to when you’re the home team. We knew coming in we were on a roll. We were preparing to do this.”

Part of the evolution of Dutchtown’s team since an 8-8 start included an about-face from a 9-7 setback at home to St. Amant on March 7. The Lady Gators, the defending three-time Division I non-select state champions, had won nine of their last 11 games. 

“We made some mistakes that cost us,” Dutchtown’s Nancy Ensminger, now in her 19th season with the Lady Griffins. “Defense wins championships. You’ve got to clean it up and they have.”

Froelich (21-8) was in total command of St. Amant’s offense, carrying a no-hitter into the top of the fourth when Ryleigh Moran reached on an infield single. Brooke Rabalais delivered the hardest hit ball with a one-out single to center before Froelich finished off her 12-strikeout performance by fanning the final two batters she faced.

“I’ve really been trusting my teammates, and I trust my defense behind me,” said Froelich, who has committed to Rhodes College. “I have a great relationship with my catcher (Ava Gardner). We’re just a team and it’s so much easier to pitch when you can trust everyone around you.”

Ensminger appreciated the competitiveness of Froelich who increased her season strikeout total to 262.

“Right now, she wants the ball,” she said. “Her mindset is great, and she’s got a good defense behind her right now. That’s confidence. She’s also swinging the ball well right now. The kids are making the plays they’re supposed to make and occasionally an extraordinary play like Caroline (Johnson) did (in the third inning) at shortstop. That was impressive. That could have been a game-changer right there.”

Froelich struck out six of the first nine batters she faced until Moran’s single. St. Amant (21-8, 9-3), which closes the regular season Tuesday at John Curtis, also got a second runner on base for the only time in the game on a hit batter, but Froelich responded with a fly out to Maddie Keller in center and a pop up to Katie VanHaverbeke at second.

St. Amant only had two base runners the rest of the game with a walk in the sixth and Rabalais’ single. Led by Johnson’s over-the-shoulder catch in shallow left field, Dutchtown’s defense was solid and didn’t commit an error.

“Kudos to them,” Pitre said. “They came in and Abby was phenomenal and did a great job. She stayed composed and had a great day. They got the timely hits when it mattered. They just played a really solid game. Two hits are not going to be enough to win a game, it doesn’t matter how many runs the other team has.”

Dutchtown batted around in the fourth inning, gaining separation with five runs on three hits and an error.

First baseman Brooke Vicknair was hit by a pitch to start the inning and advanced to second on Jenna Blanchard’s sacrifice bunt. Froelich broke up the scoreless game with an RBI double to left field, ending the day for St. Amant starter Braylee Decouteau (12-2).

Designated player Ella Pontiff greeted reliever Brently Bourque with a walk on a full-count and scored on VanHaverbeke’s scorching single that bounded off the glove of a diving third baseman Olivia Johnson and into shallow center for a 2-0 lead.

Johnson, the team’s lead-off batter, followed with a sinking liner that fell in front of a hustling Kenley Triche in center field for another run, and the Lady Griffins took advantage.

“I think we just build on each other,” said Johnson, who had three of her team’s hits. “Once someone gets a hit it’s contagious. I try and lead off and set a tone for the game.”

Dutchtown, which had nine hits against three different St. Amant pitchers, extended its lead in the sixth with a run on Keller’s RBI groundout to score Anna White, who led off with a bloop single to center. 

“We’re more of a team than we ever have been,” said Froelich, who went 2 for 4 at the plate. “We’ve always had something stopping us from being as good as we can be. We just don’t have that right now and we’re just on a roll. Everybody trusts each other. Everybody’s buying in and it’s good for us.”