It took three games Saturday for the visiting Bogue Chitto Lady’Cats to eliminate the West Lincoln Lady Bears in the South statesemifinals of the Class 1A slowpitch softball playoffs.

Bogue Chitto won the opener 5-4, fell to West Lincoln 8-1 in thesecond game and came back to win the finale 3-2 and advance to thesemifinals Tuesday.

The Lady ‘Cats, coached by Scott Leggett, improved to 25-9 withthe win. They will host Union (26-7) Tuesday for a best-of-threeseries, starting at 5 p.m. Union, the derfending state champion,eliminated Sebastopol Saturday, winning the first game 11-0 and thethird game 5-2. Sebastapol (23-6) won the second game 6-4.

“I am extremely proud of my girls,” said Leggett. “We are southstate bound. It was just our time, but hats off to West Lincoln.They are a good team. Winning the first game was very crucial.”

The Lady Bears, coached by Andrew Redd, finish 27-8.

“We can’t win if we can’t hit,” said Redd. “We handed it to themon a silver platter. We just gave it away. We had a good season butwith a bad ending.”

In the Saturday series, Latoya Braxton was the winning pitcher(2-1) and Brittani Phillips was the loser (1-2).

Bogue Chitto 5, West Lincoln 4

In the first game, Bogue Chitto rallied for three runs in thetop of the seventh to pull out the win. Brynna Wallace tied thegame 4-all with a two-run home run. Latoya Braxton gave the Lady’Cats the 5-4 lead on a solo homer.

West Lincoln went ahead 4-2 in the sixth inning. Heather Huff’ssingle drove in Holli Smith to take a 3-2 lead. Then Lauren Smithdrilled a single to score Carrie Fauver for the fourth run.

Haley Roberts doubled and singled for Bogue Chitto. Collecting apair of singles each were Dori Hall and Candace Braxton. Singlingwere Chelsey Miller, Candace Avants and Meleah Brown.

West Lincoln was powered by Alicia Kennedy’s three singles.Britnee Smith, Ashley Palomarez and Fauver hit safely.

At the plate the Lady Bears outhit the Lady ‘Cats 11-9.

Bogue Chitto committed six errors and West Lincoln madethree.

West Lincoln 8, Bogue Chitto 1

The Lady Bears played errorless ball and outhit the Lady ‘Cats12-9. Bogue Chitto committed three errors in the secondcontest.

Directing West Lincoln at the plate with a double and a singlewere Lauren Smith and Phillips. Alicia Kennedy and Holli Smithsmashed two singles apiece. Singling were Britnee Smith, AprilKennedy, Kelsey Bass and Huff.

Miller and Hall paced Bogue Chitto with two singles apiece.Candace Avants, Roberts, Devon Welch, Kayla Smith and

Wallace singled.

Bogue Chitto 3, West Lincoln 2

In the final game, Bogue Chitto scored one run in the top of thefirst and two in the second for a 3-0 lead. Ashley Palomarez’stwo-run home in the bottom of the fourth helped cut the deficit toone run.

Miller sparked the Lady ‘Cats with a double and two singles.Three singles were drilled by Avants. Hitting a pair of singles wasLatoya Braxton. Welch and Roberts singled.

West Lincoln got a homer and a single from Palomarez. BritneeSmith and Phillips collected two singles apiece. Hitting safelywere Alicia Kennedy, Huff and Bass.

The Lady Bears made three errors and the Lady ‘Cats committedone.