By Pat Culverhouse

Glenbrook’s Lady Apaches moved one step closer to a trip to Sulphur after a convincing 13-7 win over St. Edmund in the second round of the LHSAA State Division IV Select state playoffs.

With Tuesday’s win, the number two seed Lady Apaches move into a quarterfinal matchup and will host 15-seed St. Holy Savior Menard, an 8-6 winner over Ouachita Christian.

Hallie Sutton helped power the Lady Apaches offense with two home runs and five RBI as Glenbrook improved to 23-6 on the year. Ellie Earnhardt had three hits and four RBI, including a two-run double in the bottom of the first inning that gave Glenbrook the lead for good.

Raegan Gradney’s two-out solo home run in the top of the first, the first of her three hits on the day, gave St. Edmund the early lead. Gradney would also crank another two-run blast in the sixth as St. Edmund pecked away at what once was a 10-run Lady Apache lead.

Earnhardt’s double, followed by Kynzie Smith’s two-RBI single quickly put the Lady Apaches up 4-1 after one inning. Four more Lady Apaches crossed in the bottom of the second on an Earnhardt single and Sutton’s three-run shot to right.

A third consecutive four-run inning in the third, thanks to home runs by Sutton and Gabi Brown, made it 12-2 before the Lady Jays began to chip away with three runs in the fifth inning and two in the sixth.

Savannah Mangrum earned the win for the Lady Apaches, going the distance and striking out 10 while giving up 12 hits. Emma Montgomery absorbed the loss for St. Edmund.

Gracie Heard and Mangrum added one hit apiece to the Lady Apache’s nine-hit attack.