CCS, Choudrant, Simsboro highlight softball pairings
Photo by Josh McDaniel
Choudant pitcher Addison Worley will lead the Lady Aggies into a first round playoff matchup with Doyline at home.
Three Lincoln Parish softball teams officially learned their postseason matchups for the 2023 LHSAA playoffs with the release of playoff pairings Thursday.
The non-select field featured 26 teams, and the select field was made up of 24 schools, with each Lincoln Parish school making the field comfortably as Choudrant earned the No. 9 seed in Division V non-select, Simsboro No. 18 in Division V non-select, and Creek No. 4 in Division IV select bracket.
Quitman, out of Jackson Parish, earned the No. 2 seed in Division V non-select.
Choudrant
The Lady Aggies (20-7) will take on No. 24 seed Doyline (7-10) in the first round tonight at 6 p.m.
Choudrant already defeated Doyline in the regular season 14-0 Feb. 16, with the Aggies putting up 11 hits while starting pitcher Addison Worley went 5 innings, struck out 11 and allowed a single hit.
Head coach Wayne Antley won’t overlook Doyline and wants his girls focused for the upcoming game.
“We played them early; early for both teams, and I think they even had some basketball players out,” Antley said. “Hadn’t seen them since. But we’ll throw Holly Bennett I’d say.
“We go into the season shooting at the playoffs as the goal. It was just a matter of seeing who we would play. Now, try our best to get past Doyline.”
Choudrant won the District 2- B title and finished with at least 20 regular-season wins in consecutive seasons.
Last season, Choudrant lost in the regional round as the No. 10 seed to No. 7 seed Anacoco.
Cedar Creek
Creek will have a chance to rest up and scout familiar opponents thanks to a first-round bye in the Division IV select field.
The Lady Cougars (16-13) will face the winner of No. 13 Ouachita Christian and No. 20 River Oaks in the regional round, with Creek set to host.
Creek defeated OCS 15-5 and River Oaks 15-0 in the regular season.
Lost in Division IV quarterfinals last season as No. 6 seed to No. 3 Riverside
Simsboro
The Lady Tigers (19-9) will make the four-hour trip down to No. 15 Starks in the first round, with the game set for Friday due to Simsboro holding prom on Saturday.
Payton Bond, head coach of the Tigers, has had his chance for a quick scout on Starks and believes the matchup is even between the squads.
“I think they’re a very similar team to us: rely on their pitcher and they try to limit their errors,” Bond said. “It’s almost like looking at ourselves in the mirror.”
Simsboro lost in the opening round as the No. 23 seed last year to No. 10 Choudrant.
Quitman
The Wolverines (265) earned a first-round bye in the Division V non-select field and will play the winner of No. 15 Starks and No. 18 Simsboro.
Quitman lost to Florien in the Class B quarterfinals last season.
