The Henderson-Vance 12-and-under softball team basks in the glory of a regional championship and a ticket to the World Series in Cherry Hill, N.J. Seated are Julia Sumner, left, and Kirstin Currin. In the second row, from the left, are Hailey Sedigh, Tori Burwell, Lauren Dunn, Brooke Pulley, Bailey Hughes and Jordan Garrett. In the back row, from the left, are head coach David Pulley, Allison Perry, Lindsey Carrol, assistant coach Scott Burwell, Jessica Rowland, Natalie Reavis, assistant coach Randy Garrett, Mary Wilson and Morgan Abbott.
The Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Department’s 12-and-under Babe Ruth softball All-Star team has advanced to the Babe Ruth Softball World Series, to be held Aug. 10 to 20 in Cherry Hill, N.J.
“The girls have worked hard and have earned their World Series spot,” read a statement from Recreation Director Alan Gill. “They and their coaches are to be commended for their efforts and the way the have represented Henderson and Vance County.”
(The Daily Dispatch covered the girls at the regional tournament. Our information comes from the Recreation Department.)
The girls won the Eastern North Carolina District 4 tournament and advanced to the Eastern North Carolina Babe Ruth softball state tournament in New Bern.
Henderson-Vance finished second in the state tournament to Pitt County. But because Pitt County was hosting the Southeastern Regional tournament, that team received an automatic entry, and Henderson-Vance advanced as the Eastern North Carolina state representative.
At the Southeastern tournament, held this past week in Greenville, Henderson-Vance team advanced to the championship round through the winners’ side of the bracket. Coming through the losers’ bracket was Henderson-Vance’s nemesis, Pitt County.
In six previous attempts, Henderson-Vance had never finished ahead of the Pitt County All-Star team, and this weekend’s championship round looked as if it might continue that trend when Pitt County won the first game 2-0.
But Henderson-Vance bounced back to win the second game 1-0 and capture the Southeast Regional, thus earning a berth to the World Series.
In all the time that the local Recreation and Parks Department has sanctioned All-Star teams, first through Little League Baseball and then through Babe Ruth Softball and Baseball, this is the first team that has advanced beyond the state tournament.