The Minden 12U and 10 All-Stars stayed alive in their respective Diamond Youth Softball World Series tournaments Sunday in Tioga.
The 8U team came close to making the championship rounds. They battled to the end but lost a 9-7 heartbreaker to host Tioga in an elimination game.
Minden finished third in the 10-team tournament and Ryan Gordon won batting champion with a .700 average.
The 12U team suffered its first loss, losing a 4-3 heartbreaker to Texas in the winners’ bracket finals.
But Minden rallied with an 8-7 victory over Mississippi in an elimination game. The game was a nailbiter.
Minden scored three runs in the final inning to take an 8-4 lead. A three-run home run with no outs in the bottom of the inning cut the lead to one.
Mississippi got a runner to second but some clutch pitching and defense helped Minden take the victory.
Minden faces Tioga at 9 a.m. Monday. The winner takes on Texas at noon.
The Minden-Tioga winner will have to defeat Texas twice to take the title.
Like the 12U team, the Minden 10U team suffered a tough loss in the winners’ bracket finals against Texas, 3-1.
But also like the 12U team, Minden bounced back with an 8-3 victory over Tioga in an elimination game.
Minden plays South Carolina in an elimination game at 11 a.m. Monday. The winner plays Texas at 2 p.m.
The Minden-South Carolina winner will have to defeat Texas twice to win the championship.