WOODLAWN - The Woodlawn Lady Bears will be trying to add an 8-2A District Tournament title to their regular season championship this Thursday and Friday at Parkers Chapel.By virtue of winning the regular season championship, the Lady Bears earned an automatic bid to the district tournament semifinals. That automatically gives them a berth to the Class 2A Region 4 Tournament that Woodlawn will host May 8-10.Woodlawn is scheduled play in the first district semifinal at 4:30 p.m. Thursday. Should the Lady Bears win, they will advance to the tournament championship game at 6:30 p.m. Friday. Should they lose, they would play in the third-place game at 4:30 p.m. Friday.The Lady Bears enter the 8-2A Tournament on a 16-game win streak, and are 25-4 overall. First-year Head Coach Matt Huitt said he likes where his team is at heading into the post-season play. “They’re ready,” he said. “They’re as ready as any group as I’ve been around.”Of Woodlawn’s 25 wins, more than half (13) have come by shutout. Huitt said he has three pitchers - Lillie Faye McWhorter, Lacy Rauls and Karsyn Chastain - he feels can win anytime they’re in the circle.McWhorter, who has signed to play softball for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks, leads the pitching staff with a 13-0 record. She has 206 strikeouts and an ERA of 0.00. He said she has bounced back well since having off season surgery to repair a nagging injury that slowed her toward the end of the 2024 season.Rather than bring her back quickly, Huitt said he deliberately pitched Rauls and Chastain for most of the non-conference schedule, allowing McWhorter to get some extended rest before unleashing her for the 8-2A schedule. McWhorter pitched in about 95 percent of the conference games, he said.Huitt said Rauls has had to battle back from some injuries this year as well. She is 5-1 on the year with a 1.69 ERA and 75 strikeouts. Meanwhile, Chastain, who saw a lot ...
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