Tom Dodge
Five of the six teams in District 5-3A earned a spot in the 2-17 softball playoffs.
District champions Pine Prairie advanced all the way to the semifinals of the state tournament at Frasch Park in Sulphur.
The Lady Panthers (28-9, 10-0) opened with a 15-0 win over district rival Northwest (6-10. 2-8) and then grabbed an 11-1 win over Buckeye and a 7-2 victory over Winnfield.
Pine Prairie’s season ended with a 4-0 loss to eventual state runners-up Brusly.
The Church Point Lady Bears (19-9, 8-2) opened the playoffs with a 5-4 win over South Beauregard before falling 10-0 to the 2017 state champions North Vermilion.
The Port Barre Lady Devils (12-17, 5-5) lost 8-2 to Albany in the first round of the playoffs.
The Eunice Lady Cats (10-19, 4-6) fell 15-0 to Jena in the opening round of the playoffs.
The Northwest Lady Raiders (6-10, 2-8) were pushed out of the post season by Pine Prairie, while Ville Platte (3-15, 1-9) did not earn a playoff berth.
Eunice High placed five players on the All-District list.
Katlyn Joubert and Amber Arvie were named first team utility players.
First team pitchers included district MVP Karli Ortego of Pine Prairie, Church Point’s Katlyn Higginbotham and Khali Malone of Northwest.
Pine Prairie’s Sara Tate (catcher), Kailey Soileau (first base), Lori Bordelon (second base), and Jacie McFarland (third base) along with outfielders Julia Chaddrick and Macey Harvey as well as Tori Johnson (utility) helped the Lady Panthers dominated the All-District first team list.
Church Point’s Talia Jones was named first team short stop, while Lady Bear Hailee Doucet was named as a first team utility player.
Port Barre’s Bailey Wyble was selected as the first team outfielder and Lady Devil Hailey Martinez was named as a first team utility player.
Eunice High’s Cassie Thomas was named second team catcher.
Destiny Edwards was selected as second team third baseman, while Nicole Vidrine was named as a second team utility player.
Second team pitchers included Pine Prairie’s Brandy Manuel along with Anna Deshotel from Port Barre and Ville Platte’s Hannah Monier.
Hannah Stanford from Church Point was second team first baseman.
Port Barre’s Rebekah Stelly (second base) and Northwest’s Tashianna Fontenot (short stop) complete the second team infield.
Church Point’s Calee Leder and Morgan Guidry were named second team outfielders along with Kimmeah Manuel from Northwest.
Lady Bears Haley Bertrand and Mikayla Dupre earned second team utility player honors.
Pine Prairie’s Abbigail Fontenot and Alexandra Fontenot join Port Barre’s Emily Stelly, Mackenzie Hebert and Lexi Deville as second team utility selections.
Northwest’s Angel Guillory and Maggie Adam were also second team utility selections.