By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

The LaGrange High softball team has played its final regular-season home game.

If things go well on Thursday, though, the Lady Grangers will have more home games to play before the season is over.

LaGrange (18-8 overall) is in second place in Region 5-AAAA with an 8-3 record, and it will play its final region game on Thursday at Chapel Hill.

If LaGrange beats Chapel Hill, it will finish second in the region and will play Central-Carroll for the region championship.

LaGrange and Central-Carroll, regardless of the outcome of that best-of-three championship series, would both be at home for the opening round of the Class AAAA state playoffs.

If LaGrange loses to Chapel Hill, it could end up finishing third in the region.

Cedartown is 6-4 in the region, and it owns the tie-breaker edge against LaGrange since it won both regular-season meetings.

LaGrange would then compete in a four-team region tournament to determine the region’s final two participants in the state playoffs.

The third-seeded team would play the sixth-seeded team in a best-of-three series, while the fourth-seeded and fifth-seeded teams would also play.

The winner of those two series would then meet in one game to determine the seeding for the state playoffs.

Whoever those two teams are would have to go on the road for the first round of the state playoffs.

So that’s what’s on the line for LaGrange on Thursday.

Win, and the Lady Grangers know they’re in state and they’ll be at home for the first round.

Lose, and LaGrange could end up having to play its way into the state tournament, and it would be on the road.

Troup, meanwhile, is locked into the region’s number six spot, regardless of what happens in Thursday’s home game against Central-Carroll.

Troup, which is 3-8 in the region, will play the number three seed in region tournament.

REGION 5-AAAA 

STANDINGS

(Overall record first followed by region record)

Central-Carroll             12-9, 9-1

LaGrange                      18-8, 8-3

Cedartown                   12-13, 6-4

Chapel Hill                    5-17, 5-5

Cartersville                    11-11, 6-6

Troup                                7-12, 3-8

Sandy Creek               10-12, 0-10