Kaplan Lady Pirates win late Class 3A state title

SULPHUR - The Kaplan Lady Pirates won the Class 3A state title in impressive fashion.
The No. 4 seed Lady Pirates (25-6) shut out the No. 15 seed Lutcher Bulldogs 4-0 early Sunday morning.
The game started at 11 p.m. on Saturday, April 30 and ended at 1 a.m on Sunday, May 1.
The late night did not seem to bother any Kaplan fans or players.
Kaplan senior pitcher Abby Trahan was named the Class 3A tournament MVP after she picked up her third win of the tournament. She fanned 14 in the final game and gave up only three hits and did not walk a batter.
For five innings it was a pitching battle between Trahan and Lutcher’s pitcher.
“This is my best kind of game because it makes me pitch my best,” said Abby. “Tonight was a good night. I felt comfortable.”
Kaplan broke the game open in the bottom of the six inning when it scored four runs.
The first run of the inning came with two Lady Pirates got on base and batter Olivia Trahan placed a bunt down for a squeeze play. Megan Hebert came charging home before the bunt and quickly crossed the plate as Trahan placed down the bunt for a single.
The crowd went crazy and the route was on.
Shelbee Leger, the catcher, came up to bat and sealed the win with a 2-RBI single up the middle that made it 3-0.
Later in the inning, Dawn Bruton scored the fourth run on a passed ball.
Ahead 4-0, Kaplan pitcher Abby Trahan was able to retire the side for the victory.
This was Kaplan’s second Class 3A state title in 10 years.
Last year the Lady Pirates reached the Class 3A finals and lost to John Curtis.
The Lady Pirates had to find eight new positions, with the exception of the pitcher. Despite the odds stacked against them, Kaplan wins the state title.
“We challenged our seniors to become a team and they stepped up and did,” said Kaplan head coach Shay Herpin. “The seniors started being leaders.”
Herpin won his second softball state title as a head coach.
“When you have someone like that (Abby) in the circle, you hope you can (win a title),” said Herpin. “We had an opportunity last year but it did not go our way in the finals.
“I will be honest with you, if you would have told me this would happen at the beginning of the year, I would have called you a liar. The kids just stepped up and did a great job. Unbelievable.”