The York County 10-12-year-old softball All-Stars are set to compete in this year’s Little League Softball Southeast Regional tournament. The team earned a spot last week after winning the state championship 2-0 against Huguenot Little League.
The win marked the first time in York County history that the 10-12 year-old softball team had won a state championship.
The All-Stars victory over Huguenot capped off a six-hour trip to Abingdon where the girls won all six games they played. In the final game, All-Star pitcher Melanie Price pitched a perfect game to help seal the championship. When asked about her performance, she was quick to point out that she didn’t do it alone.
“It felt really good,” Price said. “I couldn’t have done it without my team, they really helped me out.”
Price’s willingness to put the team before individual success was a sentiment echoed by her teammates who relayed a similar message, saying that they, “play for each other” and that “there is no I in team.”
The mantra of teamwork begins with their manager, Jamie Price, who leads his squad with an enthusiasm and intensity that seems to rub off on his players.
“You cannot win without everybody doing their job,” Price said. “We’ve preached that the whole time and I think that’s the reason we’re able to fight back when we were losing [in] a bunch of games.”
The All-Stars are looking to make a run at the regional tournament and a chance to qualify for the Little League World Series, held in August in Greenville, NC.
“We’re fine tuning a few things we saw at states [tournament],” said Price. “Get more hits and score more runs.”
The All-Stars will hope to do just that as they travel to Warner Robins, Ga to take on a team from Tennessee, Friday, July, 17 at 4 p.m. in the first round of the regional tournament at Little League Southeast Park. The tournament will be televised on ESPN+.
The team is raising funds to help cover travel and lodging expenses for the regional tournament. More information about the fundraiser can be found at gofund.me/thus.star.pray.
