The Minden All-Stars advanced to the championship round of the Diamond Youth Softball 15U World Series Saturday in Laurel, Miss.
Minden won three elimination games to keep its title hopes alive. First they defeated Pleasant View, Tenn. 14-0 in five innings. Then they eliminated Perry Jr. League, Ga., 9-4.
Minden completed the marathon with a victory over Tri-Cities (Groveton), Texas, 12-8 in a game that ended just after 11 p.m.
The final victory avenged Minden’s only loss of the tournament.
Minden plays Headland, Ala., Sunday at 1 p.m. If Minden wins, the teams will play again an hour after the finish for the championship.
Team members are Ella Wood, Brayleigh Lewis, Erin Danzy, Lola Huddleston, Loralee Roberts, Kenzie Pamintuan, Mckinley James, Eastyn Paye, Emmaline Harmon and Rhea Waller.
Chase Huddleston and Marcus Harmon are the coaches. Peyton Wood is the bench coach.
Minden scored all 12 runs against Tri-Cities in the first inning and led 12-3. The Texas squad rallied and got within four with a run in top of the seventh. But Minden ended the game with a double play.
According to its GameChanger site, Minden had seven hits. They also took advantage of nine walks.
Huddleston had two hits, including a double, and three RBI. Pamintuan went 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Wood, who pitched all seven innings, had a hit and two RBI. Lewis and Pate had one hit each. Pate’s was a double. Waller had one RBI.
Danzy scored three runs. Harmon and Waller scored two each.
Minden had 17 hits against Pleasant View. Pamintuan went 4-for-4 with a double and three RBI. Wood went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
Huddleston had two hits, including a triple, and three RBI. Pate had two hits, including a double, and three RBI. Harmon and Waller had two hits each.
Lewis and James had one hit and one RBI each.
Pamintuan and Roberts scored three runs each. Danzy scored two.
Wood allowed one hit with five strikeouts and no walks in four innings. Huddleston didn’t allow hit in the fifth.
Pamintuan went 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI against Perry. James had a triple, double and three RBI.
Wood and Waller had one double and two RBI each. Lewis and Huddleston had one hit each.
Pamintuan and Danzy scored two runs each.
Huddleston pitched all seven innings. She struck out seven and walked one.