by Lisa Hinton-Valdrighi
The Lancaster County Little League Major (11-12) Softball All Stars went 2-2 last week in the District 15 tournament in Mathews.
Lancaster blanked Middlesex, 23-0, in its opening game on June 24 behind the pitching combination of Shelby Rose and Kayleigh Self. Both girls pitched two innings each with Rose striking out two and Self retiring three.
Rose, Karla Smith and Elizabeth Woolard had three hits each to lead Lancaster’s batters, while Olivia Saunders, Logan Kemp and Self had two hits apiece. Kiyah Smith, Nyjhria Gordon and Kelsey Chance had one each hit.
Lancaster advanced in the winners’ bracket to beat Caroline, 18-8, on June 25 with Kemp getting the win with six strikeouts in three innings. Rose and Self pitched one inning each with a strikeout apiece.
Rose and Smith had three hits each to lead the offense, while Saunders and Self had two hits apiece.
On June 27, Essex dropped Lancaster, 13-1, into the elimination bracket. Self pitched three innings and Kemp one.
Lancaster trailed by two, 7-5, going into the third inning on June 29 when Richmond County batted through the line-up to score 10 runs and blow the game open. Richmond County knocked Lancaster out of the double-elimination tournament, 24-7.
Kemp pitched three innings and Rose and Self one each in the final game.
Essex went on to win the District 15 tournament with a 14-2 victory in the championship game. Essex went unbeaten at 4-0.
Coaches Tiffany Pittman and Tim Self and assistant Tyler Crandall took 13 players to the all-star tournament. Lancaster County Little League only had one major softball team this season. The 17 players on that team went unbeaten during the regular season, 12-0, against teams from Middlesex, Mathews, Northumberland, Caroline and Spotsylvania.
“I was very impressed with the talent of this age group,” said Pittman. “I really hope they stick together because they have great potential.”
Lynn Smith assisted Pittman and Self during the regular season.
