Lady Chiefs advance to State Softball Tournament for 13^th straight season

By: Jimmy Touchet (From The News Star)

West Ouachita third baseman Joyce Currie tags out a DeRidder Lady Dragon for the final out in the Lady Chiefs' 6-0 Class 4A quarterfinal victory at West Ouachita's Reservation on Saturday, April 20. (Photo by Kenneth Burford).

CADEVILLE --- The West Ouachita Lady Chiefs are heading back to Sulphur for the 2019 Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) Fast Pitch State

Softball Tournament for the thirteenth straight season following a 6-0 Class 4A quarterfinal playoff victory over the 2018 LHSAA Class 4A State Champion DeRidder Dragons at West Ouachita High School on Saturday, April 20.

West Ouachita senior pitcher Shelby Carlson continued her post season dominance striking out eleven DeRidder batters, while pitching a no-hitter and allowing zero walks, in the complete game of 7 innings.

“She (Carlson) is in the zone right now,” West Ouachita coach Ashley Burkett – Hoyle said.  “She is pitching well and moving the ball well.  With our defense behind her, we are hard to beat.”

After Carlson struck out the side with a quick three-up-three down, West Ouachita jumped all over the Lady Dragons by plating four runs in the bottom of the first. 

“I thought that we all came out very calm and very confident,” Carlson said.  “Our five seniors knew that this would be our last time to step on this

field and we made sure that we would leave our mark.”

Following a single by Lady Chiefs’ first baseman Ashlyn Roach and an error to reach base by Carlson, catcher Sam Eckert blasted the ball over the right field center wall for a three run home run to give West Ouachita the early 3-0 lead.   

“Honestly, I was just trying to get a base hit and score a run because I knew that we needed it,” Eckert said.  “I knew that it would take a little bit of pressure off us if I could get in one run.  She (DeRidder pitcher Kyleigh Hoskey) just hung it out there and I got a hold of it.”

Coach Burkett was pleased to get the early run cushion on a tough DeRidder squad.

“That big stroke (Eckert’s homerun) was huge,” Burkett – Hoyle said.  “We come out hot in the game.  We come out swinging it ready to score runs.  When we do that, it puts the other team down quickly.”

Later in the bottom of the first, West Ouachita left fielder Alex Roberson reached base on an error by DeRidder third baseman Jocelyn Irving. Up next, Lady Chiefs’ third baseman Joyce Currie laced 1-2 pitch in the gap in right center field to score Irving to give West Ouachita a 4-0 advantage at the end of the first.

West Ouachita would add another run in the bottom of the second when center fielder Jordie Wilhite hit a double to left center field to reach base.  Wilhite would eventually steal third which set the stage for Roach to hit a sacrifice fly to straight away center to score Wilhite from third and give West Ouachita the 5-0 lead.

West Ouachita would add an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when third baseman Joyce Currie hit a shot over the left center wall to give the Lady Chiefs a solid 6-0 advantage heading into the game’s final frame.

In the top of the seventh, Carlson struck out the first DeRidder batter before hitting the second Lady Dragon in third baseman Jocelyn Irvine to give the DeRidder a runner on base.Next up, the West Ouachita defense took control forcing a 3-5-3 double play to end the game and start the celebration for the thirteenth straight trip to Sulphur.

About the streak – Is this the year that West Ouachita finally wins a state title?

Even though West Ouachita has advanced to the state tournament for thirteen straight seasons, the Lady Chiefs have failed to come home with the state’s ultimate prize – a state championship.

West Ouachita’s streak is one of the most impressive milestones in the state.  Some of the players on the current Lady Chiefs squad were in diapers the last time that West Ouachita failed to qualify for the State Tournament.

Still after twelve straight trips to the state’s top stage, coach Burkett-Hoyle still feels great for her girls and the team on the accomplishment.

“It feels amazing just like it does every year,” Burkett-Hoyle said jubilantly.    

In Sulphur, the Lady Chiefs have played .500 ball winning 12 games in the state tournament while dropping 12 games during their 13 straight appearance streak.

All total, West Ouachita has made the Class 4A state championship game three times, losing all three games, and advanced to the semifinal round nine times.  

West Ouachita will make the move to Class 5A’s District 2 next season where the Lady Chiefs will compete in arguable the toughest Class 5A softball district in the state. 

District 2-5A consists of 15 state championships earned by the Ouachita Parish Lady Lions (2 state titles – 2014, 2018), Pineville Lady Rebels (6 state titles – 1983, 1985, 1990, 1996, 1997, 1998), Ruston Lady Bearcats (1 state title - 2007), Alexandria Senior High (ASH) Lady Trojans (1 state title – 2016) and West Monroe Lady Rebels (5 state titles – 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1999).

With the upcoming transition to Class 5A next year, West Ouachita will have a final opportunity to claim a Class 4A softball state title.

Up next, West Ouachita will turn its attention to its semifinal opponent in the second seeded North DeSoto Lady Griffins.  North DeSoto and West Ouachita are no strangers to each other having met in Sulphur twice in the state championship game.

“They (North DeSoto) are always very competent,” Burkett-Hoyle said.  “They are biggest competition in Class 4A every year so it will be a fun game coming in the semifinals no matter what.”

West Ouachita and North DeSoto met on February 25 with the Lady Griffins claiming an 8-7 home victory.

Coach Burkett-Hoyle was very pleased with huge home crowd that came out to support the Lady Chiefs’ march to the semifinals.

“We need them (West Ouachita fans) in Sulphur big time,” Burkett – Hoyle said.  “We need them to come out just as big as they did today.”