SVL 8U softball team will head to regionals

By Julie Thomas

The SVL 8U softball team has had a big week. After finishing in the top five at the state tournament, the Warriors are now headed to the regional tournament. That is history in the making for these 12 girls that have represented themselves, their families, their league and their community to the best of their ability in being the first ever state-bound, not to mention the first ever regional bound group of 8U girls from Gilchrist County to hold this title.

The SVL Warriors 8 U Allstar Softball team on back row left to right are Coach Lisa Barry, Coach Tiffany Liles, Samantha Mathews, Kylee Barry, Kasey Coyne, Bryn Thomas, Sydnie Martin, Chesney Overstreet, Zakyah Frazier, Hallie Bryant and Coach Drue Barry. On front row left to right are Presley Paulling, Aubrey Brown, Mallory Brown-Coates and Taria Liles.

After weeks of practicing and fundraising, the 8 and under softball team headed off to Ponte Vedra to compete in the state tournament that began last Wednesday. Excitement filled the air as the girls and their families began pulling into the Ponte Vedra Sports Complex. Apparently, the will to win was left in the parking lot, because it never showed up on the field with the girls. The Warriors lost to Winter Springs in just 5 innings, 11-1.
Thursday brought on opening ceremonies and individual competitions. The girls did great! After such a tremendous loss, they were ready to play on Thursday. At the completion of their events, everyone went out to dinner as a team, had a great meal, even better fellowship and then to bed early for an 8 a.m. game against Apopka. The Warriors were in the loser’s bracket and could not lose again, or they would be sent home.
Bright and early the next morning the girls hit the batting cages and began warming up. In just a few minutes, they were sizzling. In just 3 ½ innings, SVL Warriors beat the Ocala based team 12-2. With just one strikeout the entire game, everyone hit!
After a quick snack and plenty of hydration, the Warriors had to face Ft. Lauderdale at 11:15 a.m. The Warriors started out a bit slow only scoring 2 in the first inning and giving up 4 to the opposition. They then held Ft. Lauderdale scoreless for four innings straight and took the lead to 9-4. As the sun got hot, the Warriors’ bats got even hotter and the girls from Gilchrist County ended with a 20-5 victory!
The next game was at 8:15 p.m. against Orange Park, who had the home crowd and home field advantage, but the Warriors came ready to battle and jumped ahead 6-2 by the bottom of the first inning. By the bottom of the second, the Warriors had scored all that they could and were up 10-2. Orange Park fought hard for three more runs, but the Warriors held their ground defensively and took another win home.
On Saturday morning the Warriors faced Ponte Vedra, the defending state champions. The Warriors came out ahead in the first inning 3-2. Fired up and wanting it, they burst ahead by scoring 6 in the second inning. Defensively, the Warriors were unstoppable. Every hit Ponte Vedra had was held to a single excluding one bunt from the very first at bat. Offensively, they were still rolling those bats. Officially, their umpires were doing everything they could to prevent our girls from moving on. Ponte Vedra even had an illegal player come to bat, no where numbered on the official line-up and they let it slide after protest. Didn’t matter, the Warriors dug down and sent the defending State Champions home by winning 12-8.
Next up, Winter Springs, the team that the Warriors had initially lost to in the first game of the tournament. The Warriors were working hard and leading 4-2 at the end of the second inning. The calls continued to go the other way and our girls kept fighting, but their efforts were futile. Winter Springs walked away with another win beating the Warriors 11-6.
Amazingly enough, the coaches from Ponte Vedra and Winter Springs went to tournament officials on the Warriors’ behalf in regards to how horrible some of the officiating was. The Warrior coaches were then informed that the commissioner of Florida Babe Ruth Softball had sent some officials home because it had gotten so bad. Not able to give the games back and let the Warriors have a fairly called game, they told our Warriors they had earned their place at the regional tournament which will be held next week in Altamonte Springs.
The Warriors finished fifth in the state for 8 and under softball. Out of 21 teams, they fought hard and finished strong.
Great job, girls!