Matt Vines

The North DeSoto baseball playoff run ended in the quarterfinals as the No. 9 seed Griffins fell in two games at No. 1 seed Lutcher.

The Griffins dropped decisions of 5-1 and 10-0 to end their season with a 24-10 record.

The rest of the Division II Non-Select bracket has undergone a degree of turmoil as Lutcher will face No. 12 Iowa in the semifinals with No. 6 North Vermilion and No. 10 Pearl River battling on the other side of the bracket.

North DeSoto was without head coach Bo Odom, who was hospitalized with a ruptured appendix according to a Shreveport Times report. Odom coached through the pain in North DeSoto’s second-round series win against Rayne.

Lutcher 5, North DeSoto 1

The Griffins hung with Lutcher early, answering an early run to tie the game 1-1 in the third inning.

Cole Cory singled in Blake McFerren, who doubled in the previous at-bat and stole third.

But Lutcher took control with four runs in the bottom of the third and never looked back.

A Quinn Smith single and Brock Louque double set the stage for two runs to score on two passed balls for a 3-1 edge.

A bases-loaded walk and fielder’s choice rounded out the scoring for the 5-1 advantage.

North DeSoto pitcher Caleb Roles kept the door open for the Griffins by holding Lutcher to just three hits in six innings, all of which came in the first three innings. But the control issues (four walks) and timely hitting allowed Lutcher to produce its offense.

Lutcher starter Marshall Louque scattered five hits and struck out nine.

Lutcher 10, North DeSoto (five innings)

Lutcher left no doubt as to the outcome of the series with seven runs over the first two innings.

The Bulldogs piled up 12 hits against North DeSoto starter Trysten Hopper and reliever Kaleb Carter in the win.

After two runs in the first inning, Lutcher plated five second-inning runs.

Blake McFerren recorded North DeSoto’s lone hit against Lutcher starter Smith.