Lady Flashes maintain hold on division lead|[03/20/07]

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, March 20, 2007

St. Aloysius maintained its hold on first place in Division 7-1A softball with a 12-0 romp over Enterprise-Lincoln Monday night at Bazinsky Park.

Sophomore pitcher Sarah Franco struck out 10 and gave up just two hits as St. Al moved to 3-0 in the division and 7-6 overall.

&#8220It’s nice to be 3-0 this year, considering we were 0-2 this time last year,” St. Al coach Gene Rogillio said. &#8220We have a big game Thursday at Bogue Chitto and after that game we will have finished the first round through the district. In the second half, we’ll have only one away game and that’ll be against Enterprise.”

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Franco says the Lady Flashes now have a better offense to battle Bogue Chitto for the divisional title.

&#8220We’re hitting better this season,” said Franco, who drove in three runs off two hits against the Lady Jackets.

Last year, St. Al finished 15-6 but missed the playoffs for the second straight year after falling short in divisional games with Bogue Chitto and West Lincoln.

Franco, a two-time all-county pitcher, had another strong game in the circle. She struck out at least two batters in the first four innings. Sarah Burke had Enterprise’s only two hits, the first coming in the third inning and the other in the fifth.

&#8220My curveball was working pretty good. It went where it was supposed to go,” Franco said.

Up 1-0 in the St. Al third inning, Franco came up with a two-out hit to extend the lead to 3-0. Her rising fly ball got past Enterprise shortstop Ashley Greer into shallow left.

The Lady Jackets (3-4, 1-2) self-destructed in the St. Al fourth, committing six errors to ignite a nine-run outburst.

Sara Howington, Carrie Hattaway and K.K. DeRossette all reached on errors. After a sacrifice and a fourth Enterprise error, Sarah Kerut got the first hit of the inning to make it 6-0.

Following an RBI groundout by Katie Koestler, Franco got her third RBI on a bunt hit to score Kerut. Taylor George, Blair Tillman and DeRossette followed by driving in a run each off base hits to cap the rally.