Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – The Eureka girls celebrate their Charlie Lakin Tournament championship at the Arcata Sports Complex on Friday.

By Ray Hamill — Six of the eight H-DN softball teams have been included in the North Coast Section playoff brackets, which were released on Saturday, including four that will open at home.

Big 5 champion Del Norte received the highest local seed and a first-round bye in the Division-4 tournament.

The No. 2 Warriors will begin their playoffs next weekend in Crescent City when they host either No. 7 St. Patrick-St. Vincent or No. 10 Lick Wilmerding, who meet in the opening round on Tuesday night.

We could see an all-local matchup in the Division-4 quarterfinals, providing No. 4 Fortuna and No. 5 Hoopa successfully navigate their opening games in the 13-team bracket.

The Fortuna girls, who beat Hoopa twice earlier in the season, open at home against No. 13 Hercules on Tuesday at 5 p.m., while the Warriors will host No. 13 Kennedy in their opener, also on Tuesday at 5 p.m.

Hoopa was moved up a division this season after winning back-to-back NCS championships in 2019 and 2022.

Cardinal Newman received the No. 1 seed in the bracket.

Two local teams also made the bracket in Division 3.

Fresh off their Charlie Lakin tournament success on Friday, the Eureka girls are seeded No. 6 and will open with a home game against No. 11 De Anza at Washington Elementary on Wednesday at 5 p.m.

McKinleyville, which also has been moved up a division this year after winning NCS crowns in 2019 and 2022, received the No. 9 seed and will open on the road at No. 8 San Marin on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

And rounding out the H-DN contingent in the postseason, the St. Bernard’s girls received the No. 5 seed in the 11-team Division-5 bracket and will have an opening-round bye before playing at No. 4 Head-Royce in next weekend’s quarterfinals.

The Del Norte Warriors are seeded No. 2 in Division 4.