The 2021 baseball and softball season has gotten of to mixed reviews for the four schools that will be calling the Jackson Parish Recreation Department complex home this year, or at least for the early part of it. Quitman High School has had the best start as they have smashed their way to a 4-1 start in softball. Conversely, the Jonesboro-Hodge baseball team simply got smashed in their only game of the year to date. The Saline Softballers are sitting at 2-2 after four games while the Weston girls were very close to having the same record but are still searching for their first win in the Kim Shows era after four games. The JHHS softball team and baseball squads from Weston, Saline and Quitman are set to begin their season this week. Recap of games played from February 24th – 28th:
Wednesday, February 24th:
Quitman 13 Loyola 2 (Softball): The Lady Wolverines stepped off the bus swinging and erupted for nine runs in the first two innings. The offensive onslaught combined with three hit pitching from Madison Kaye Brymer, Maggie Guyotte and Cali Deal paced Quitman to their second straight, 10-run rule victory of the year, this time over a Class 3A opponent. Madeline Vail, Cali Deal, Jada Naron and Skylar Hall opened with singles and Madison Kaye Brymer slapped a double to plate four runs in the top half of the first. Loyola got their only runs of the game via a walk and a homer in the bottom half but Quitman blew it open with four more in the second as Brymer, Deal and Naron got their second hit of the game and Taylor Harvey her first..
After Vail singled and stole two bases to give Quitman another run in the third the Lady Wolverines added two more in the fourth when Madison Chaplin singled with two outs, stole a pair of bases and scored on a Vail single along with Karley Huckaby who had walked. Naron scored the final run, her team leading third, in the top of the fifth to round out the scoring. Deal made her varsity debut a successful one by going 3/3 and scoring a pair of runs while K’ing out all three batters she faced in her one inning on the mound. Naron (3RBI, 3RS), Vail (2RBI, RS), Brymer (2RBI, RS) and Hall (RS) got two hits each. The Lady Wolverines also 11 stolen bases led by Chaplin with three and both Harvey and Naron with two each.
Cedar Creek 18 JHHS 1 (baseball): At least new JHHS head man, Ethan Roberts, can say that his team led the first inning of the first game that he coached. That still won’t take the sting out of the beatdown that was finalized 2 1//2 inning later after Cedar Creek turned 10 hits, 12 walks and 5 Tigers errors into 18 runs. J-H took the 1-0 lead after Marcus Thompson, Chandler Harvey and Drew Davis coaxed three straight walks and Logan Smith knocked in Thompson with a SAC fly.
Other than Bryce Ethridge getting hit by a pitch in the second and Smith singling in the fourth that was all the offensive the Tigers would muster as the Tigers would fan 10 times to make the final 12 outs. The J-H pitching staff wouldn’t fare as well as Davis, Nathan Vines and Ethridge handed out 12 walks and 10 hits.
Thursday, February 25th:
Castor 15 Weston 12 (Softball) For six innings it looked like new Weston head coach Kim Shows would get a victory in her very first game. The Lady Wolves led 12-10 against perineal Class B power Castor but three hits and a pair of walks combined with three Weston errors, led to a five run seventh inning, that resulted in a 15-12 loss.
The Lady Wolves came out swinging heavy lumber with four straight extra base knocks to take a 4-1 lead in the first. Lexi Barmore got it all started with a two run homerun in her first at bat of the year to plate Audrey Welch who had reached on a fielders choice to put Weston on top after spotting Castor an early run. Jacie Ledford followed with a triple followed by back to back doubles by Macie Hall and Mallory Tolar that both drove in runs.
Hall smashed her first round tripper of the year to plate Ledford who had singled to give Weston a 6-2 lead heading into the top of the fifth only to see Castor score six runs via three hits and three walks off of a tiring Tolar, who was replaced on the hill by Emma Kate McBride. Weston came right back in the bottom half when walks to Hall and Taylor Chatham coupled with hits from Tolar and Mary Catherine Hay and an RBI by Alaina Trosclair put the Lady Wolves back on top at 10-8. Castor tied it up in the top of the sixth but once again, Weston claimed the lead after Hall reached on an error and both Hay and Chatham singled to score two runs setting up the fateful final inning.
McBride, Barmore, Ledford, Hall, Tolar and Hay all had two hits apiece for Weston. Hall, Barmore and Chatham had two RBI each with Hall scoring four and both Hay and Ledford adding a pair to lead the Weston offensive attack that ended up with 13 total hits. Barmore and Ledford also stole a base. Emma Kate McBride took the loss in relief of Tolar despite the pair only allowing 7 hits and 3 earned runs to the vaunted Castor attack. The culprit in the loss was 10 Weston errors.
| February 24 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
| Cedar Creek | 0 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 0 | x | x | 18 | 10 | 1 |
| JHHS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | x | x | 1 | 1 | 5 |
WP: Parlo; LP: Davis
2B: (CC) Stephens, Gremillion, Ramsey, Shepherd
RBI: (CC) Shepherd 5, Gremillion 3, Stephens 3, Parlo 2, Ramsey 2, Smith 2, Mitchum, Thompson
SB: (JH) Thompson 2, Ethridge, (CC) Stephens 3, Parlo, Wade, Ramsey, Smith
| February 24 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
| Quitman | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | x | x | 13 | 13 | 0 |
| Loyola | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | x | x | 2 | 3 | 4 |
WP – Brymer
2B – Brymer
RBI – Naron 3, Brymer 2, Vail 2, Guyotte, Williams
SB – Chaplin 3, Harvey 2, Naron 2, Borland, Deal, Hall, Leach
| February 25 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
| Castor | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 7 | 3 |
| Weston | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 13 | 10 |
WP: Morgan
LP: McBride
2B: Hall (W), Tolar (W)
3B: Ledford (W)
HR: Hall (W), Barmore (W)
RBI: Nailes (C) – 3, Barmore (W) – 2, Chatham (W) – 2, Hall (W) – 2, Hay (W), Ledford (W), Tolar (W), Trosclair (W), Welch
SB: Myers (C) – 2, Morgan (C), Barmore (W), Ledford (W)
Friday, February 26th
Hamburg, AR 6 Weston 5 (Softball – Polar Bear Classic): Weston lost late again after spotting Hamburg four runs over the first three innings before storming back to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth in the Polar Bear Classic played at ULM in Monroe. The Arkansas visitors won it by plating single runs in the fifth and sixth while Weston managed to score one in the fifth and had three batters reach base in the sixth only to come away empty handed. It was a bitter loss to swallow as Weston outhit Hamburg 9-6 but left seven on base, hit into three double plays and had a runner cut down at home.
Down 4-0, Weston cut the margin in half when Alaina Trosclair reached on the first of six Hamburg errors and scored on a triple by Emma Kate McBride, who then got tagged out at the plate attempting to score on a passed ball. Lexi Barmore followed with a single and was driven in by Macie Hall’s hit. The Lady Wolves tied it up one inning later when Mallory Tolar singled and Trosclair doubled with two outs setting up a McBride grounder to short that was ruled an error but scored both runs. McBride and Barmore both got two hits, drove in one and scored a run to lead the Lady Wolves with Hall, Audry Welch and Trosclair, who scored twice, getting a hit apiece.
| February 26 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
| Hamburg (AR) | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Weston | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 5 |
WP – Meeks, LP – McBride
2B: (W) Tolar, Trosclair, (H) Meeks
3B: (W) McBride, (H) Pennington
RBI: (W) Barmore, Hall, McBride; (H) Pennington 2, Edwards, Tippen
SB: (W) McBride: (H) Meeks 2, Edwards
Sterlington 10 Quitman 3 (Softball- Polar Bear Classic): Five errors and six runners left on base accompanied by two big innings by Sterlington was to much to overcome as Quitman dropped their first of the year in the Polar Bear Classic played on Sterlington’s home field. Quitman simply never could get their vaunted attack started as it was just one of those games where seemingly every hard hit ball was right at a defender.
Quitman tied it up in the top of the third when Karlee Huckaby got plunked, went to third on an error off the bat of Madeline Vail and scored on a passed ball. When Madison Chaplin scored in the top of the fifth after singling and stealing two bases, including home Quitman was still down by four after Sterlington had plated five in the bottom of the fourth. Down 10-1 after four more Sterlington runs, Karlee Huckabee got a two out single, stole second and scored on a Vail single, which represented the third time she had reached in the game. Eighth grader Cali Deal took the loss in her first varsity start despite giving up only 3 earned runs over 5 1/3 innings.
| February 26 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
| Quitman | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Sterlington | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | x | 10 | 10 | 3 |
2B: Guyotte
RBI: Vail
SB: Chaplin 2, Brymer, Huckaby, Williams
Saturday, February 27
Quitman 18 Union Parish 3 (Softball – Polar Bear Classic) Apparently the Lady Wolverines didn’t take to being shut down by Sterlington the game before as they exploded for a season best 16 runs in the first inning against Class 3A Union Parish to coast to the four inning victory called early due to the “mercy rule.” Quitman showed no mercy in their initial at bat after seventh grader Maggie Guyotte had struck out the side in the top of the first. The Lady Wolverines completely batted around twice with all nine starters scoring and seven of them crossing home plate twice. Madison Kaye Brymer led the onslaught with two hits in two at bats, 4 RBI and 2 runs scored. Madison Vail (RBI, RS) also got two hits while Madison Chaplin stole her team leading 6th and 7th base of the year, scored 3 runs and knocked in a pair in her first appearance of the season as leadoff batter. Jada Naron (2RS, 2RBI), Karley Huckaby (2RS, 2SB, RS) and Cali Deal (3B, RS, RBI) all got one hit apiece while Summer Grilette (SB), Guyotte, Bethany Leach (SB), Emily Borland (SB) and Skylar Hall (SB) all scored. Averie Williams also scored twice and stole two bases after twice reaching base on errors. Guyotte got the victory after striking out the side in both innings she pitched and not allowing an earned run.
| Saturday – 27th | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
| Union Parish | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | x | x | x | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| Quitman | 16 | 0 | 0 | 2 | x | x | x | 18 | 8 | 4 |
WP – Guyotte
2B: Brymer, Huckaby
3B: Deal
RBI: Brymer 4, Chaplin 2, Naron 2, Deal, Huckaby, Vail
SB: Chaplin 2, Huckaby 2, Williams 2, Borland, Grilette, Hall, Leach
Ruston 19 Weston 3 (Polar Bear Classic): Fans didn’t even have time to get popcorn and a drink in this one as it was over before it really even began. Class 5A Ruston High sent 24 batters to the plate in top of the first and scored 18 runs as Weston pitching put 11 on base via walks or getting plunked. Don’t forget the four errors that were made. To Weston’s credit they kept fighting to score two in the first and another in the second before the game was called due to the 15 run advantage after three innings. Jacie Ledford hit a double to plate Lexi Barmore and then scored on a wild pitch for Weston’s first two runs. That was followed by Alaina Trosclair ripping a triple to center and scoring on a passed ball in the third but the two extra base hits were all the Lady Wolves could muster. Mallory Tolar was the hard luck loser after giving up only 4 earned runs of the 12 that were scored in the two thirds of an inning she pitched
| Saturday – 27th | 1 | 2 | 3 | R | H | E |
| Ruston | 18 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 6 | 1 |
| Weston | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
WP – Lee; LP – Tolar
2B: Ledford
3B: Trosclair
HR: McMillan
RBI: McMillan 3, Milsaps, Lee, Dixon, Ledford
SB: Dixson 2, Leggett, Parker, Ledford
Quitman 16 Weston 0 (Polar Bear Classic) Once again, Weston fell hopelessly behind in the early going but this time it wasn’t free passes that did most of the damage but rather the Quitman bats. The six Weston errors didn’t help either. In the Polar Bear classic matchup that was the second of the day for both teams the Lady Wolverines tattooed Weston pitching for 16 runs and 12 hits in the first two innings that included two home runs and a pair of doubles. Madison Kaye Brymer got one of each while Cali Deal stroked the other two bagger and Madison Chaplin got the onslaught started with a lead off jack. Cali Deal won her first varsity start ever by allowing only singles by Lexi Barmore and Mary Catherine Hay in her three innings of work.
The “big bopping” Brymer (4RBI, 3RS) and Jada Naron (3RBI, RS) led the way with three hits apiece while Chaplin (HR, 2RBI, RS, SB) and Skylar Hall (2RS, 2SB) had two hit each. Bethany Leach, Maggie Guyotte and Averie Williams (2SB) also scored a pair of runs. Karley Huckaby stole 2 bases and scored a run as well.
| Saturday – 27th | 1 | 2 | 3 | R | H | E |
| Quitman | 6 | 10 | 0 | 16 | 12 | 1 |
| Weston | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
WP – Deal; LP – McBride
2B: Brymer, Deal
HR: Brymer, Chaplin
RBI: Brymer 4, Naron 3, Chaplin, Williams
SB: Williams 2, Huckaby 2, Hall 2, Chaplin, Grilette, Naron
Additional area games:
Saline 23 Ringgold 2; Saline 17 Ringgold 4 (Softball): Saline evened their season slate to 2-2 by scoring 40 runs in eight innings over two games for the pair of “mercy rule” victories. The stars of the game were the entire starting nine as every single player got at least one hit and scored at least one run in both games. Of note was Jordan Williams who scored 7 runs and got five hits including a home run and a pair of doubles. Karah Zumwalt and Kylie Bates crossed home plate six times while Ava Toms, Sydney Thomas s and Aybra Kelly tallied five times each over the two games. Jayden Williams got both victories on the mound.