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SMITHVILLE - If you had filled out a bracket a couple of weeks ago March Madness-style for the Class 2A Region IV softball playoffs and had Rosebud-Lott and East Bernard as quarterfinal opponents, you might be well on the way to winning the office pool.

Whether they are a pair of bracket busters or two teams that simply have flown under the radar, they find themselves together after successfully dispatching their first two playoff opponents.

The teams will meet in a one-game playoff at 7 p.m. today at Smithville High School. They will battle for the right to reach the regional semifinals against the winner of the Yorktown-Dilley series in San Antonio.

Rosebud-Lott (17-4) wrested a second-place finish from highly competitive District 25-2A. The Lady Cougars have advanced with a pair of one-game playoff victories - topping Lexington 2-1 and downing 28-2A champion Hallettsville 7-3 last week in Bastrop.

Lacy Hoff smashed a three-run home run and Emilie Skala added a run-scoring triple in a five-run fifth inning that proved vital for Rosebud-Lott. Freshman pitcher Victoria Conners earned her 13th victory.

Coach Keele Wells said then that, given the youthful makeup of her team, one-game playoffs are the Lady Cougars’ preference. Hoff, Skala and Tamara Fabianke are the only seniors on a squad relying heavily on sophomores and freshmen.

Rosebud-Lott is the only area softball team left standing after Gatesville, Rogers and Bruceville-Eddy all lost in the area round.

The logical assumption following the Lady Cougars’ victory over Hallettsville was that they would face No. 1-ranked Franklin at a nearby location such as Cameron.

As the adage goes, that’s why they play the game.

Instead, the Lady Cougars will travel southeast to meet a suddenly offensive juggernaut in the Brahmarettes of East Bernard. Not only did the Brahmarettes sweep a best-of-three series with Franklin; they obliterated the Lady Lions 18-2 and 10-2.

East Bernard, the 27-2A runner-up behind Danbury, whitewashed Vanderbilt Industrial 8-0 in bi-district two weeks ago.

twaits@temple-telegram.com