North DeSoto, Calvary, Converse advance to LHSAA title games behind mega homeruns
North DeSoto’s Mia Norwood led off her team’s LHSAA Non-Select Division II semifinal contest with the first of her two home runs to set the stage for a Lady Griffin home run barrage that ended in just five innings with a 11-0 win over Brusly (29-7).
Laney Johnson, a Louisiana Tech commitment, pitched the shutout.
“Laney was on from the first pitch and had command all night,” North DeSoto coach Tim Whitman said. “Maybe the best defensive game we have played all year against a team that puts a lot of pressure on you. We had good at-bats at the plate and were able to hit some balls out of the park for the win.”
Ciara Orgeron, Raegan Henderson, Maddy Stringer and Johnson also hit round trippers for the defending state champion Lady Griffins (34-2). Norwood had three RBI, scored two runs and totaled nine bases in the shortened contest.
North DeSoto will meet No. 2 Albany (26-3) at 3 p.m. Saturday for the state title.
Walk-off grand slam from Walker puts Calvary in title game
Calvary’s Ramsey Walker hit her second grand slam of the playoffs and the Lady Cavaliers run-ruled Houma Christian 11-0 in the LHSAA Select Division III semifinals Friday at Sulphur’s Frasch Park.
Walker, who is verbally committed to Arkansas, hit two home runs last week in a playoff contest and repeated the effort against Houma (24-7). DJ Lynch also homered twice for Calvary (25-10), which has won the past two Class 2A state titles.
The game had a freakish moment when a line drive bounced off the facemask of Calvary pitcher Kynzee Anderson and into the glove of a diving Tavia Leadon, who threw to second for a double play. Anderson was shaken, but remained in the game picking up eight strikeouts while allowing just two runs.
Mary Grace Woodle, Mallory Carver, Leadon and Abby Sims also contributed to Calvary’s offensive attack.
Calvary will play No. 6 seeded D’Arbonne Woods (21-14) at 3 p.m. Saturday for the state title.
Prine time performance lifts Converse past Choudrant
Converse junior Avery Prine put on a spectacular show Friday afternoon in lifting her team to a 3-1 win over Choudrant and into the LHSAA Non-Select Division V championship game Saturday.
Prine hit an RBI double and a two-run homer to account for all three runs in the contest, while striking out 13 Lady Aggie hitters in a dominating pitching performance for Converse (24-7).
“I couldn’t have asked for a better performance,” Converse coach Chris Brumley told The Times. “We had zero errors on the day – defense was on-point. And Avery was spectacular on the mound and at the plate.”
Choudrant (23-8) scored its only run in the top of the third on a pair of singles with a sacrifice bunt sandwiched between. The Lady ‘Cats answered in the bottom of the frame when Summer Brumley singled to right with two outs. Prine then doubled to center, scoring the pinch runner for Brumley.
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In the bottom of the seventh, Rayni Rivers drew a walk. With two outs, Prine blasted a walk-off home run to end the contest. Converse will meet Quitman (29-5), which hasn’t allowed a run in three playoff games, at 3 p.m. Saturday for the title.
Jimmy Watson covers Shreveport-Bossier area sports. Email him at jwatson@shreveporttimes.com and follow him on Twitter @JimmyWatson6.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: LHSAA softball: North DeSoto, Calvary, Converse advance to title tilts
