The Ochsner’s LHSAA Softball State Tournament began on Friday afternoon and featured five local teams. With an all-Northwest Louisiana Nonselect Division V set of games, the area would be represented by two. Calvary had to take care of business against Houma Christian to make it three. Here’s a recap of the three games
Quitman 4, Florien 0
Division V Non-Select Semifinals
Defense reigned in the first three innings as only one hit by Sarah McDaniels was allowed.
Fourth innings and the Lady Wolverines finally got rolling. Karley Huckaby hit a single with a blooper to left field. A sac bunt by Skyler Hall pushed Huckaby to second. Hallie Kate Pullig reaches on a fly ball error and stretched to second base as Huckaby advances to third. A sacrifice fly by Madison Chaplin to left field had Huckaby tag up and head home while Pullig stayed at second. Cali Deal blast a two-run shot over the left field fence to give Quitman the 3-0 lead.
The defense continued to prevail until the bottom of the sixth when Maggie Guyotte smashed a home run as Quitman won 4-0 and headed to the state championship.
Cali Deal was the winning pitcher throwing a complete game with six strikeouts. Deal and Guyotte both hit home runs. A Williams was credited with a double
Sarah McDaniel also pitched a complete game with four strikeouts. Hits for the Lady BlackCats came from McDaniel, Gracie Rutherford, Cora Downs, and Addison Martin
Quitman’s last appearance in a state championship was in 2015 against Florien. The Lady Wolverines have three state runner-ups also in 2012 and 2014.
Converse 3, Choudrant 1
Division V Nonselect Semifinal
The upstart Choudrant Lady Aggies had already knocked off the No. 1 seed and looked to do the same against the Converse Lady Wildcats in Sulphur. Converse would have something to say about that.
The first two innings saw a pitching duel between Converse’s Avery Prine and Choudrant’s Holly Bennett. Prine struck out all three batters in the second and had accumulated four already in the game. Bennett had struck out three in the first two innings.
Third inning Choudrant saw an opening. Kylie Willis started the third with a single to right field. Faith Milton pushed Willis to second on a sac bunt. Bennett hits a single that she stretches to second and gives the first score of the game. Choudrant held on to the 1-0 lead after 2 ½ innings.
An error gives Willa Gregston first base to start the bottom half of the third. Rayni Rivers hits a fielder’s choice and gets a Gregston out but gets to first. Summer Brumley hits a fly ball to the right for a single. Rivers tries to stretch to third base but gets tagged out. Reagan Bennett replaces Brumley on first as a courtesy runner. Avery Prine knocks a double to center field. Bennett rounds the bases and scores tying the game at 1-1.
Choudrant threatens to take the lead in the fifth as Willis starts with a single. Milton gives up a sac bunt and sends Willis to second. Holly Bennett is hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Prine picks up another strikeout and then intentionally walks Zoey Smith. Bases loaded. Prine gets the Wildcats out of the inning with yet another strikeout.
The sixth inning saw another surge by the Lady Aggies. Elissa Guillote walks to start the inning. After a fly-out to first, Mattie Johnson popped a single sending Elissa Guillote to second. Willis bunts to the pitcher and pushes Guillote and Johnson to second and third. Prine saved the runs again with back-to-back strikeouts.
Prine made sure that the last inning was going to be in the Lady Wildcats hands by striking out three.
Two strikeouts by Gregston and Brumley with a walk by Rivers in between looked to be extra innings coming. Prine blasts a fly ball over centerfield to get the walk-off 2-run shot and a trip to the state championship for Converse.
Avery Prine was the winning pitcher with a complete gameand 13 strikeouts. Prine also had all three RBIs with her 2 for 3 performance including a double and home run. Summer Brumley was also 2 for 3 for Converse.
Holly Bennett pitched a complete game with 10 strikeouts. Kylie Willis was 2 for 3 for the Lady Wolverines.
This will be Converse’s first trip back to the state championship since winning the title in 1994. They also have a championship from 1978 and a runner-up in 1981.
Calvary 11, Houma Christian 0 (5 inn)
Division III Select Semifinals
The Calvary Cavaliers are going to try to “3-peat” as state champions with the 11-0 win in their semifinal win over the Houma Christian Lady Warriors. Calvary could only win in their fashion by blasting softballs over the fence.
Bottom of the first opening batter for the Lady Cavaliers, DJ Lynch, showed the Lady Warriors what to expect. Lynch homers over the left field fence to start 1-0. Calvary kept the centerfielder busy with three fly outs to end the inning up 1-0.
Lynch struck again in the bottom of the third with a shot over the centerfield this time. Ramsey Walker and Tavia Leadon followed with singles but was unable to score. Calvary led 2-0 after three innings.
Kynzee Anderson had only allowed a hit in the first inning through four innings and had accumulated seven strikeouts to that point. Top of the fifth, Hailey Henry popped a double to left field. Destiny Pierce slammed a line drive that hit Anderson. Anderson picked up quickly and fired to third to Tavia Leadon to tag out Henry and Leadon fired over to second base to Ramsey Walker to tag out Pierce who tries to strecth the single into a double. Double Play for the Cavaliers. After checking on Anderson, she was allowed to continue and picked up where she left off with her eighth strikeout of the game. Calvary maintained its 2-0 lead.
The wheels came off for Houma Christian in the bottom half of the fifth. Opening up was DJ Lynch again. Not taking a chance for a third home run, they intentionally walked her. Little did they know who was behind. Ramsey Walker smashed one over the left field fence to give Calvary a 4-0 lead. Evidently shaken, Leadon was walked and Mary Grace Woodle got tangled at the ankles by a hit by pitch. Amilea Baine came in as courtesy runner for Woodle. Runners at first and second. Wild pitch by send Leadon to third and Baine to second. Carlie Guile pops a fly ball deep to center and Leadon tags up. Calvary’s now up 5-0. Baine stayed at second. Another wild pitch gives Baine third. Ella Franks hits a sac fly to center and Baine tags up. Calvary up 6-0 at this point. Mallory Carver gets on with a double to left field. Baylee Blackburn walks and runners at first and second again. Abby Sims hits a grounder to first but gets on by an error by the first baseman. Blackburn goes to third and Carver scores and now a 7-0 lead by the Lady Cavaliers. DJ Lynch up again. This time not an intentional walk but a regular walk. Bases are loaded with Ramsey Walker batting for the second time this inning. Walked fires a shot over the left field fence again and this time for a walk-off grand slam. Calvary run rules Houma Christian with nine in the bottom of the fifth and an 11-0 win.
Kynzee Anderson pitched five innings with eight strikeout. Ramsey Walker hit two home runs including a walk-off grand slam in the fifth inning. Walker batted 3 for 4 with 6 RBIs. DJ Lynch hit two home runs going 2 for 2 with 2 RBIs. Mallory Carver hit a double for the Lady Cavaliers
The Lady Cavaliers are going for the “3-peat” on Saturday afternoon against district rival D’Arbonne Woods. Coach Tiffany Wood will be going for her fifth state title at Calvary. They have previous titles in 2016, 2017, 2021, and 2022.
Championships Information
April 29 @ North Frasch Park in Suplhur
Division III Nonselect Championship
No. 1 Calvary (25-10) v No. 6 D’Arbonne Woods (21-14) @ 5 pm on Field 17
District V Nonselect Championship
No. 2 Quitman (29-5) v No. 4 Converse (24-7) @ 3 pm on Field 16
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