No other team in Louisiana has played as tough a schedule as Quitman High School. That is why the top ranked team in Class B carries one of the top power point ratings in the state regardless of classification.
Have bus will travel! That is what QHS coach Justin Dodson basically told every top school in the state before the season started and nothing proves the point more than the last five days where the Lady Wolverines played five games against highly rated teams that included #1 in Division IV, #2 in Division 1, and #3 in Division III all on the road.
The aftermath was a 2-3 result with 9-7 and 3-0 victories coming against South Beauregard and Southside and a 2-1 loss to St. Amant, the 2nd ranked team in Division, in the Sulphur Tourney this past weekend followed by a 10-6 loss to LaSalle, the top ranked team in Division IV, where Quitman led 6-0 after 5 1/2 innings and a hard luck 6-5 loss to Jena, ranked #3 in Division III that saw the road weary Lady Wolverines uncharacteristically make a season worst four errors.
“We lost a couple of games that we normally would win,” said Dodson. “Still I am proud of the way the girls battled especially having to play against some of the best teams in the state and during one of the toughest weeks we will see. In the end, this experience will be a benefit for us.”
Coming Home! The Lady Wolverines will get a break from the road this weekend as they host their second tournament of the year, the QHS “Big” Tourney which will be played at the Jackson Parish Recreation Department Sports Complex on Friday and Saturday. QHS will play two games on Friday (6:00 and 8:00 pm) and two more on Saturday (3:00 pm and 7:00 pm)
St. Amant 2 Quitman 1 (Sulphur Tourney) – Hallie Kate Pullig stroked a two-out single to score Breanna Boone, to cut St. Amant’s lead in half in the bottom of the 5th inning but the rally came up short with the tying and go ahead runs left stranded on 2nd and 3rd base. Brenna Lamkin paced the QHS offense with two hits, including a double. Anna Leach also hit a “two bagger” with Maggie Guyotte and Anna Leach rapping out singles.
Quitman 9 South Beauregard 7 (Sulphur Tourney) – Cali Deal and Anna Leach got three hits each, including a double and 3 RBI while Briley Bowers also got 3 hits as Quitman scored 8 of the 9 runs in the first four innings. Maggie Guyotte also got two hits, with a “two bagger and both Kinsley Ponder and Hallie Kate Pullig got a hit each. Brenna Lamkin, who picked up the complete game win, helped her cause by scoring a run and knocking one in.
Quitman 3 Southside 0 (Sulphur Tourney) – Hallie Kate Pullig went “yard” for the first time this year, smashing the first pitch she saw over the left field fence in the top of the sixth inning for a two-run home run to break up a superb pitching due between two of the state’s top hurlers. Cali Deal, who turned in one of her better performances of the year with 11 K’s over 7 innings while allowing only two meaningless singles, scored ahead of Pullig after roping a double to open the inning. Anna Leach would also score in the frame after hitting a single and coming around thanks to back-to-back sacrifice grounders by Zoee Williams and Briley Bowers.
LaSalle 10 Quitman 6 (Monday) – For 5 1/2 innings, Quitman was cruising along with a 6-0 lead over the top ranked Division IV team as Cali Deal has struck out 10 in the first four innings, including setting down the side on K’s in the 2nd and 4th innings. Then a coaching decision to try and give a young hurler some valuable experience against a top flight team backfired as LaSalle scored 9 runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Not to be overshadowed in the loss was Maggie Guyotte hitting a career milestone with the 50th home run as a Lady Wolverine in the first inning to put Quitman on top early. Another career milestone was set in the top of the third when Zoee Williams hit her first ever varsity home run, a two run shot that helped Quitman up the lead to 6-0 in the frame that saw Guyotte and Deal hit singles, Hallie Kate Pullig reach base on an error and Karley Huckaby smash a two run double.
Jena 6 Quitman 5 (Tuesday) – Playing five games in five days while traveling all over the state finally caught up to the Lady Wolverines. as four errors led to three early unearned runs and a 4-0 Jena lead that held up despite Quitman roping a season best seven extra base hits. Maggie Guyotte led the “long ball” assault by smashing a pair of home runs, giving her three in two games and adding a double. Cali Deal also had a big game with a home run and a double while Karley Huckaby added a triple and Hallie Kate Pullig hit a double.
