The 2025 LHSAA softball season will end just like it began for the top two Class B softball teams in the state, when #1 ranked Quitman will face #2 Stanley for the Class B state title on Sunday, May 4th.  First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 pm (noon) on Field #15 of the North Frasch Softball Complex in Sulphur, LA.

The contest will ironically end the season as it began for both teams this year being a rematch of the season-opening game on February 28th which saw the two teams battle to a 6-6 tie after seven innings before Quitman exploded for 5 runs in the top of the 8th inning to take an 11-6 victory.

It also marks the second time in two years that the two schools will meet for a state title with Quitman beating Stanley 8-1 for the 2024 Division V “non select” school state championship while also continuing the trend of Quitman and Stanly playing in the regular season and then again in the playoffs as has been the case in three of the last four years. Over those five games played, Quitman has won each contest by an average of 10.8 – 2.6 runs per game. 

Tale of the Tape! 

Quitman, the #1 seed and District 1B champion, now stands at 20-10 on the season, won three games in the Class B bracket to earn the right to play in their third straight state championship game, and attempt to become back-to-back state champions. The Lady Wolverines beat #16, Florien, 12-2 in the regionals after earning a first-round bye, hammered #9, Holden, 17-5 in the quarterfinals, and shut out Grace Christian 4-0 in the semi-finals on Friday. 

Stanley (23-7), the #2 seed and District 3B champion, earned the chance to gain revenge from last years state title game defeat to Quitman by blasting #15, Oak Hill 18-3 in the regionals after getting a first round bye, beating #10, Family Community 11-0 in the Quarterfinals and then squeaked by district rival and #6 seed, Zwolle 3-2 in the semifinals. 

Class B Semi-Finals

Quitman 4 Grace Christian 0

In the battle between the two 2024 Division V state champions, Quitman rode the lightning left arm of LSU signee Cali Deal and the big bats of Maggie Guyotte and Hallie Kate Pullig to take the shutout victory. 

It was a welcome sight for the Quitman faithful when Deal, who is considered by many as the top senior pitcher in the state, stepped into the circle for the Lady Wolverines to open the contest. The lanky lefty has been dealing (no pun intended) with a pinched nerve in her shoulder and had not started a game in more than a month, but did pitch three innings of relief in Quitman’s quarterfinal contest.

Despite having no feeling in her left arm while throwing a pitch, Deal struck out 12 batters and allowed just four hits in her seven-inning, complete game masterpiece.
“It’s like muscle memory at this point,” said Deal when asked how she could pitch so masterfully and not have any feeling in her arm. “I just concentrated on throwing strikes and put my trust in my defense.”

While Deal was using muscle memory to shut down Grace Christian, Hallie Kate Pullig was drawing on good offensive memories at the Frasch Softball Complex as well to help lift the Lady Wolverines. Now in her Freshman year, it was here last spring that Pullig burst on the statewide scene as an 8th grader when she stroked a pair of doubles and drove in five runs in the title game to earn the Most Outstanding Player Award.

On Friday, Pullig picked up where she left off last spring, going 3/3 at the plate, driving in two of Quitman’s four runs and scoring once, while improving her Frasch Complex batting statistics to 6 hits in 11 at bats for a .545 batting average that includes 2 doubles, a triple, and 8 RBI. 

Another who has fond Frash memories is Maggie Guyotte. In the two games played last year, Guyotte went 4/5 with a double, a home run, 4 RBI, and 5 runs scored. Just a junior but already the premier power hitter in Lady Wolverine history, the Louisiana Tech signee continued her state tourney offensive exhibition by slapping a double, scoring two runs, and driving in another. 

Newcomers to the state tourney scene, Brenna Lamkin (2/2, run scored, stolen base) and Briley Bowers (1/3) made their presence felt while veterans Karley Huckaby (2B) and Anna Leach (2/4) also contributed. 

“We knew we were in for a tough game as this was a battle between two defending state champions going at it,” said QHS coach Justin Dodson. “I am very proud of how our girls played and came out on top.” 

Scoring Recap:

1st inning: After Cali Deal struck out the side, Anna Leach stroked the first pitch she saw into centerfield for a single. Maggie Guyotte reached on a fielder’s choice that forced Leach at second and then went to second on a Cali Deal groundout before scoring on Hallie Kate Pullig’s clutch, two-out single to left field to give Quitman a 1-0 lead. 

3rd Inning: Once again, Deal struck out the side in the top half, leading up to Brenna Lamkin singling and scoring on Guyotte’s double to put Quitman up 2-0. Again, Pullig came up with two outs, and again she hit a clutch single to score Guyotte and advanced to second on a fielding error by the left fielder. Zoee Williams then hit a pop fly to second base that was misplayed, allowing the heads-up Pullig to score from second base and give Quitman the final 4-0 margin.