Cubs, Lions make it to quarterfinals

Mount Carmel and Ursuline Academy’s softball teams may still feel the sting of sudden elimination in quarterfinal round of the LHSAA’s “Fast Pitch 56” state tournament last week, but their vast number of underclass players gives them a reason to return to the 2015 tourney in Sulphur: It’s called vindication.

The nucleus of players on both the Cubs’ and Lions’ squads return with enough talent to challenge again for a trophy. They came close this year with just two seniors.

District 9-5A champion and No. 4 seed Mount Carmel, which advanced by beating Central, 3-1, and Haughton, 6-0, opened and closed its season with losses to Denham Springs.

Mount Carmel (21-9) loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh, but Jackets’ pitcher Chelsea Lewis got a ground out to end the game. She struck out five in posting a comeback 9-8 victory.

The Cubs had the early lead, but Denham Springs tied it in the fifth inning, then took the lead with three runs in the sixth.

Alaina Guarino was 2-for-4 and had a first-inning home run for Mount Carmel.

West Ouachita High may be located 295 miles from New Orleans, but the Chiefs were the best team in District 9-4A, in which Cabrini and Ursuline shared the district title.

West Ouachita defeated both in the 4A playoffs, eliminating No. 1 seed Cabrini, 2-0, in the regional round, then No. 8 Ursuline, 7-5, in the quarterfinals.

But with just two seniors, the Lions plan to return in 2015.