Featured photo by Ginger Swanson
Minden 12U, 10U and 8U All-Star teams won titles in the Diamond Youth Softball State Tournament held July 3-6 at the Minden Recreation Center.
The three teams will play in their respective DYS World Series tournaments July 16-21 in Tioga.
Minden went undefeated in the three-team 12U double round robin, defeating Ponchatoula and Sabine twice.
Minden was tough at the plate and in the circle, winning four games by a combined 59-0.
The 10U team tied Vernon Parish 3-3 in its first pool play game then went undefeated the rest of the way.
Minden defeated Haughton 5-1 and Sabine 8-7 in pool play games.
In the first round of bracket play, Minden held off a late Sabine rally, scoring a run in the bottom of the fourth for a 5-4 victory.
Minden then defeated Vernon Parish 7-0, setting up another game against Sabine in the championship round.
This time the game wasn’t as close as the first two as Minden won 8-2 to take the title.
The 8U team defeated Mamou, Haughton and Sabine in pool play.
Minden then dominated Springhill and West Monroe in its first two bracket games before falling to Sabine 6-2 in the winners’ bracket finals.
Minden then rolled past West Monroe in an elimination game to get another shot at Sabine in the overall championship round.
Minden won a 1-0 nailbiter to force a winner-take-all game for the title.
Minden then defeated Sabine again 6-0 to win the championship.
Minden went 8-1 in the tournament, scoring 87 runs.
As the runner-up, Sabine also advances to the World Series.
The Minden 6U team came up just short in its bid to make the World Series, going 3-2. Minden defeated Tioga twice and Shreveport once.