By GEOFF STOUTE
The Morgan City Daily Review

MORGAN CITY — Veteran Morgan City High School pitcher Kennedy Hebert proved to be too much for a young, but record-breaking Franklinton squad as Class 4A’s top seed Lady Tigers defeated No. 16 Franklinton, 8-0, in regional round action last Friday.
Hebert, a Nicholls State signee, struck out 17, including the game’s first 12 batters. She didn’t allow a base runner until Keirsten Allen singled to centerfield in the top of the fifth. Allen’s single was Franklinton’s lone hit.
In all, just four Franklinton Demons reached base via the hit, one walk issued by Hebert and two Lady Tiger errors.
Franklinton (14-11), which won its first playoff game in school history with a win against Pearl River in the bi-district round, came in with a young squad, starting five freshmen.
In Friday’s game, Morgan City scored four runs in the top of the first with RBI singles from Hebert and Haylie Crappell, followed by an RBI triple by Gracie Verrett just inside the right field line for a quick 3-0 Morgan City lead.
The Lady Tigers added another run two batters later when an error in right field allowed Verrett to score.
After the big first inning, Franklinton limited the damage, surrendering just four more runs the remainder of the game — single runs in the second and fourth innings and two more in the sixth.
Verrett doubled down the leftfield line to score Hebert in the second for a 5-0 lead, while Hebert connected on a solo home run in the top of the fourth for a 6-0 Morgan City lead.
The Lady Tigers’ two sixth-innings runs came via RBI sacrifice flies from Verrett and Matti Rivere.
Franklinton had its biggest threat to score in the top of the sixth inning as Laynea Stafford and Brylie Fowler reached base, putting runners at first and second with two outs.
However, Hebert escaped the jam with her final strikeout of the night.
Hebert pitched seven innings and surrendered one hit, one walk and fanned 17.
Allen led Franklinton’s offense with a 1-for-3 performance.
Aleigha Fussell suffered the loss. In six innings, she surrendered eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits with three walks, two hits batters and three strikeouts.
Hebert and Verrett led the Morgan City’s offense. Hebert was 3-for-3 with a triple, a home run, two RBIs, a stolen base and four runs, while Verrett was 3-for-4 with a double, a triple, three RBIs, a stolen base and a run.
With the win, Morgan City (23-4) advanced to the state tournament, where it will face No. 8 Grant High School Friday in a quarterfinal contest.