Chaffee will get another swing at Van Buren for the MSHSAA Class 1 District 1 softball title after the teams earned shutout wins Wednesday.
The Red Devils dispatched third-seeded Neelyville 8-0 after Van Buren began its state title defense with a 10-0 win in six innings over Naylor at Rains Field.
"They're not going to go down easy," Chaffee coach Brian Horrell said of the Lady Dawgs. "They're ranked No. 1 for a reason. We're just happy to be in it. We've got a chance tomorrow, I believe our girls will come out and play hard."
Chaffee (14-10) will face Van Buren (15-4) at 5 p.m. Thursday in the championship game at Three Rivers College. The teams met on the same field Sept. 7 with Van Buren winning 3-2 and it will be the fourth straight year they've met in the district playoffs.
Last year, the Lady Dawgs got a walk-off 6-5 win in the final en route to a state title. Before that, it was a 2-0 Chaffee win before the Devils placed third at state.
"This time of year in the playoffs, one game and you can go home as we found out last year," Horrell said.
Kylie Wilhite tossed a four-hit shutout for Chaffee, striking out eight and getting six flyouts while walking a pair.
Wilhite escaped a bases-loaded jam in the second inning to preserve a 2-0 lead and left runners stranded in scoring position in three of the final four innings.
"No pressure," Neelyville coach Aaron Burton said. "The one time we had pressure to put on them they got out of it. We didn't come through and after that it was like you could tell they eased on in and we never did."
Chaffee jumped ahead with a two-run first inning following a leadoff walk and an RBI hit by Bailey Wiseman. Carlie Milz later provided an RBI groundout.
Neelyville's Emily Dollins and Payton Reinbott opened the second inning with consecutive hits but Wilhite got a grounder to first base and a lineout to her third baseman before issuing a full-count walk to load the bases. Wilhite then got a groundout to second baseman Madeline Hendrix to end the inning.
"It doesn't matter if it's eight, nine, 10 or one, we didn't score. Period," Burton said. "Their one run beats us."
Chaffee added four runs with two outs in the fourth.
Wilhite led off with a single past a diving shortstop and Hallie Bollinger walked with one out.
Bridgette Swinford, who drove in the run in the second, smashed a hard-hit grounder past the shortstop for a 4-0 lead. After an error loaded the bases, Sydney Walker singled past the third baseman for a run before Milz hit a liner off the pitcher's glove for a two-run single and a 7-0 lead.
"We took advantage of that big two-out hit there, put a four-spot up," Horrell said. "Once you've got that four-spot up, it gave you a little more breathing room, made the girls feel a little more safe."
Walker had three hits while Milz, who drove in a run in the sixth, had four RBIs as the top of Chaffee's lineup went a combined 9 for 15 with a walk.
Reinbott, a freshman, had two of Neelyville's four hits and also struck out three in the circle.
"They're hungry," Burton said of Chaffee. "They're wanting Van Buren, they're wanting that shot back at it."
Neelyville will lose two players to graduation, including Mackenzie Hobbs and Hana-Kate Cassinger, who missed the fall season with a back issue.
"I hate it for her," Burton said. "Didn't get to play her senior year."