The Washington 14U All-Stars won the Babe Ruth state softball championship Sunday at New Bern. The state title is believed to be just the third won by a Washington team since Babe Ruth play began. The All-Stars will move on to play in the 14U Southeast Regional next week in Varina, Va.
The Washington 18U All-Stars also put forth a strong effort as they placed second over the weekend.
The 14U All-Stars breezed through pool play 4-0 to take the No. 1 in bracket play, then defeated Henderson-Vance 22-1 Saturday as pitcher Kendall Alligood earned the victory, before moving on to top Down East 6-1 thanks to a strong effort by winning pitcher Kelsey Lang. On Sunday, the All-Stars defeated Roanoke Valley in the championship game 11-1 as hurler Haley Hutchins earned the victory.
Washington overwhelmed the opposition with a flawless blend of power pitching and air-tight defense. The All-Stars’ used s mall-ball tactics early to secure an early lead in each game before the lumber lengthened the margin. Slappers Catie Dority, Haley Hutchins and Anna Hardison set the table while sluggers Adrianna Tyson, Haley Wright, Kelsey Lang and Kaylee Jackson accumulated RBIs.
The team committed only two errors in bracket play. Defensive star Allison Brantley threw out two runners at first from deep right field with long bullet throws.