The No. 2 seed Benton Lady Tigers advanced to the quarterfinals of the non-select Division I playoffs with a 4-2 victory over No. 15 Destrehan Tuesday afternoon at Benton.
Benton (27-5) will host No. 7 Walker (21-8), which defeated No. 10 Sulphur 16-3, Friday at 5 p.m. The winner advances to the semifinals and the state tournament in Sulphur.
In another non-select Division I second-round game, No. 6 seed Airline’s season came to an end with a 9-2 loss to No. 11 West Ouachita at Airline.
The Lady Vikings finished 19-11. The Lady Chiefs improved to 22-14.
At Benton, the score was tied at 2 after Destrehan scored two in the top of the fourth. The Lady Tigers quickly broke the tie.
After leadoff batter Lainey Lafitte was hit by a pitch, Audrey Stark smacked a home run for the game’s final runs.
Benton pitcher Bayleigh Moniz then sat down the final nine Destrehan batters in order.
Moniz pitched a three-hitter. All three hits came in the fourth. She struck out seven and walked three. She also went 2-for-3 with a double.
Ashley Promes also went 2-for-3.
Benton scored scored a run in the bottom of the first. Dylan Defee led off with a single. She stole second and third then scored on a sacrifice fly by Olivia Livers.
The Lady Tigers went up 2-0 in the bottom of the third. Emersyn Disotell hit a fly ball and reached second on an error. Promes brought her home with a single.
Destrehan took advantage of two singles, a double, a walk and an error to tie it.
Destrehan pitcher Jolie Lozano struck out two and walked one in six innings.
At Airline, one tough half-inning was too much for the Lady Vikings to overcome.
West Ouachita scored seven runs in the top of the second on two walks, an error and four hits, including a three-run double by Emma Bass and a two-run home run by Ashlee Douglass.
Airline’s Emily Rachal, a senior who has been a key player since she was a freshman, went 3-for-4. Ainsley’s Jones had an RBI-single. Ryan Hutchinson also had a hit.
Rachal pitched the final 5 2/3 innings in relief. She allowed one earned run with five strikeouts and one walk.