One down, one to go! That is what is left of the mission of the Quitman High School softball team to get back to the LHSAA Division V state tournament in Sulphur.
The #1 ranked, Lady Wolverines punched their ticket to the quarterfinals of the “non-select” bracket by mashing Monterey 16-0 in the second round, setting up a 5:00 pm, Thursday, April 18th matchup against Calvin. The contest is set to be played at Quitman High School, weather permitting.
No luck needed! There are many who believe that 13 is an unlucky number. Maybe so, but not when it represents the number of runs that your team scores in one inning. That is what Quitman did in the bottom of the fourth inning. In that scenario it will close out your opponent and advance you to the next round, without any luck needed.
The Lady Wolverines put the finishing touches on the contest in “smashing style “walk-off” fashion as 8th grader, Hallie Kate Pullig, hit her first ever postseason homerun to drive in A. J. Gray and give QHS the 16 run advantage that allowed the game to be called due to the “mercy rule.” The homer continued Pullig’s late season power surge, and marked her 5th “round tripper” of the year and 4th in the last 6 games.
It also marked the second home run of the inning as three batter earlier, Madison Chaplin smacked her career best, 8th “tater” of the year to drive in Taylor Harvey and Marley Bell that gave Quitman a 13-0 advantage.
Additional contributors to the big inning were:
Maggie Guyotte (Walk, 2B, 2 runs)
Cali Deal (2 hits, 1 run, 1 RBI)
Taylor Harvey (Walk, hit, 2 runs)
Marley Bell ( Walk, hit, 2 runs, 2 RBI))
Kinsley Ponder (Walk, 1 RBI, 1 Run)
Karly Huckaby (Hit, 1 RBI, 1 Run)
Anna Leach (Hit, 1 RBI, 1 Run)
In all reality, when Bell walked in the 2nd inning that forced in Brenna Lamkin to give Quitman a 1-0 lead it was all that winning pitcher Cali Deal would need. The returning Class B All-Stater improved her season record to 17-3 by spinning a three hit shutout, the 10th time this season she had not allowed a run to an opponent.