Matt Vines

COUSHATTA – The best season in the history of Red River softball has come to an end.

The No. 15 seed Lady Bulldogs couldn’t escape big innings from No. 18 Pine as Red River fell 12-1 in the first round of the playoffs.

Red River, who was looking for its first-ever playoff win, ends the season with a 20-8 record. It’s just the second home playoff game in the program’s history.

The Lady Bulldogs avoided trouble in the first inning when pitcher Madie Baxley popped up a Pine hitter with the bases loaded.

But with a pair of runners in scoring position in the second inning, Pine wouldn’t miss again.

Sumrall doubled in two runs to grab an early 2-0 lead.

Red River’s Darcey Bohannon started the second inning with a single, but Pine pitcher Bella Crain retired the next three batters, including two strikeouts.

The third inning started well for Red River as Baxley got two outs.

But Pine hit the gas with six straight hits that plated five runs. The first two runs scored on an error, and then hits by Anthony, Phelps and Sumrall pushed Pine’s lead to 7-0 after three.

Baxley left the bases loaded in the fourth inning to avoid further damage.

Red River dented the scoreboard in the fifth inning when Keasha Clark doubled in Bohannon to cut Pine’s lead to 7-1.

But a pair of sixth-inning walks set the table for another big Pine inning as the visitors pushed across five more runs for the 12-1 final score.

Sumrall led the way with five RBIs on 3-of-4 as Pine tallied 16 hits overall. Six players recorded multiple hits.

Red River managed three hits and a walk as baserunners were hard to come by for an offense that’s been explosive most of the season.

Pine advances to play No. 2 Pine Prairie in the second round.