After a first-round bye in the LHSAA baseball playoffs, seventh-seeded Natchitoches Central plays host to No. 10 Dutchtown in a best-of-3 regional round series beginning today with a 4 p.m. doubleheader at Chad Hargis Field on the La. 6 bypass.

The Chiefs (27-7) have won 12 of their last 13 games overall and are 12-1 at home this season. Dutchtown (25-11) opened the Non-Select Division I playoffs last weekend at home by sweeping NCHS’s District 1-5A colleagues, Airline’s Vikings, by 7-0 and 6-2.

If a third game is needed to decide the series, it will be played at 1 o’clock Saturday.

SMHS SOFTBALL: The Lady Tigers’ successful season ended with a tough run-rule loss in Reserve Wednesday afternoon, an 11-1 defeat in six innings at Riverside Academy in a Select Division I regional round game. St. Mary’s (19-12) got an RBI single from GK Philea, but Riverside (20-6) posted a six-run second inning and was in charge throughout.