The only way to erase a bad memory is to replace it with a new, better one.
History had not been kind for Quitman High School in prior state championship games. Four times prior, (2012, 2014, 2015, 2023) Quitman had reached the state finals. Four times they fell short but that is a distant memory now as with their 8-1 victory over Stanley High the Lady Wolverines have become the first school in Jackson Parish history to win a state title in prep softball.
Their waltz through the Division V “non-select” bracket validated the #1 ranking the Lady Wolverines held virtually all season and put the finishing touches on their sterling 29-4 season record. Stanley, who made the finals as a #6 seed end the year with a 6th seed in the Division ends the year with a 22-14 mark.
Quitman reached the finals by beating #16 Monterey 16-0, #9 Calvin 9-1 and #5 Converse 6-0, gaining revenge for the extra inning loss in the 2023 state finals. Stanley earned an appearance in the title game by beating #11 Holden 11-3, #3 Choudrant 10-1 and #7 Anacoco 8-3.
The victory not only eased the pain of last season’s, nine inning, heart breaking defeat but also gave eighth grader, Hallie Kate Pullig, a new memory of her experience at the Frasch Sports Complex in Sulphur, host of the LHSAA state softball tournament.
Last year, it was Pullig who made the last out in the loss to Converse, something that she obviously had on her mind when she stepped up to the plate in the first inning with the bases loaded. Adding to pressure was that Stanley intentionally walking Cali Deal to get to her.
How did she respond? In championship fashion!
Pullig responded to the challenge by lacing a bases clearing double to stake Quitman to a 3-0 lead. She then added two more RBI’s with another double later in the contest, earning the budding superstar championship game MVP honors for her five RBI performance.
Maggie Guyotte also had a big day for the Lady Wolverines, going 3/3 that included a double, scoring twice and knocking in two more. Cali Deal also played an integral role in the victory. Not only did she draw three walks and score two runs, the junior lefty also allowed only two hits and struck out 11 batters. The LSU commit ends the year with a 20-3 record, 218 K’s and diminutive 0.986 earned run average.
Northwestern State University signee, Madison Chaplin, also closed out her career in fine style getting three hits, including a double and scoring twice. Anna Leach chipped in with two hits and run scored and Karley Huckaby added a double.
To view the video on Quitman’s championship effort that was filmed by GeauxPreps click here.
Semi-Finals
Quitman 6 Converse 0: Cali Deal and Maggie Guyotte blasted home runs and Madison Chaplin and Hallie Kate Pullig hit a triple each as Quitman broke out the “big bats” to beat the defending state champion. Anna Leach also had a big day with three hits in three at bats and senior Marley Bell also added to help the Lady Wolverines gain revenge of the nine inning loss in the 2023 state finals. Deal was also dominant “in the circle” spinning a two hit shutout and striking out 12.