By Kyle Roberts
WEST MONROE, La. — The final score was not the results any one hoped for in the Lady Bearcat softball program, but Ruston High (10-14, 2-8 District 2-5A) is still clinging to life after a 14-4 loss to West Monroe (14-15, 7-3 District 2-5A) Thursday on the road.
And with one game remaining in the regular season, Ruston High will still have a shot at making the 2025 Division I, Non-Select postseason Monday night against Airline for Senior Night.
”We’re right there,” Ruston High head coach Lauren Garvie said. “I did not tell the girls today, because when we looked yesterday, we were No. 25 (note: the Top 26 make the postseason in Ruston’s division), and I was thinking “Here we go.” And then this morning, I looked and we were No. 27. I didn’t tell anyone that, because this is so attainable for them. We are borderline, literally, and we just have to shift that gear and go win Monday night. Not just for the playoffs, but for our seniors. We have to play every single ball like it’s our last chance, and if we do that, we’ll earn another chance.”
Freshman Aubrey Stoehr led off with a home run over right center field to put Ruston up 1-0 in the top of the first inning.
West Monroe would answer with four runs in the bottom of the first for a 4-1 lead. After neither team scored in the second inning, the Lady Bearcats would get two in the top of the third after senior Abby Holton singled on a line drive to center field with one out, scoring both junior Sage Tolar and senior Rilee Atwood to cut the lead to 4-3.
The Lady Rebels put up three more in the bottom of the third inning to take a 7-3 lead. Ruston would get another run across the plate in the top of the fourth after Stoehr singled into center field, scoring freshman Skylar Bowers and cutting West Monroe’s lead to 7-4.
Two more in the bottom of the fourth and five more in the fifth would be enough for the Lady Rebels to get the win 14-4.
Regardless, Garvie credited her team for play hard in the final district game of the regular season.
“We were competing really well to start,” Garvie said. “Stoehr starting with that home run — she’s been hot and that way for a while. We were looking at stats, and she has 37 hits on the season. She’s on fire at the plate. I’ve conveyed to the team for the last couple of games that our freshmen have led the way, and our seniors have been right there to be consistent. Then we’ve got a young group in the middle — I call them double-freshmen because they didn’t play last year on the varsity level.
“We’re young, and we’re growing. We’re still talking about maturity conversations and we need to find our timing (at the plate). We’re fighting, and we’re growing every inning.”
Ruston will host Airline Monday, April 14, at home for senior night.
