Fourteen girls softball teams from all over Texas are in town this week to play in a double elimination style Softball 15 and Under League State Tournament at the Rockdale Softball Fields.
As play began Monday, the playoff atmosphere was electric. Spectators supported and cheered as they watched the young ladies make plays. Each team chanted and encouraged one another on good and bad plays, as if they were just happy to be there.
The teams are playing in conditions like no other with no high fives or group huddles.
As in the regular season, the league is taking precautions with COVID-19.
“We are asking the spectators to practice social distancing.” RGSL President Pete Rubio said. “A lot of the parents are staying in the outfield and watching the game from their vehicles. Another thing we’re doing as a safeguard is spraying everything with sanitization solution every hour. We’re spraying the dugouts and everything else that comes into contact with any object that touches anybody.”
Out of the Rockdale Girls Softball 15U division, two out of the four teams qualified—the Scrappers and Dubs—for the state tournament.
The seventh-seed Scrappers won their first-round game in convincing fashion defeating the eighth seeded Corsicana Lady Texas Rangers 9-3 on Monday.
The ninth seeded Dubs pulled off a nail-bitter in their first-round game beating the Troy Lightning 3-2 on Monday.
The two Rockdale squads faced off in the second round on Tuesday. The Dubs came away with a 7-4 victory.
“I expect game play to intensify,” Rubio said. “Each team is starting to see what the other teams have to offer and what type of challenges they have as far as playing each other. All the coaches are probably drawing up their strategies right now.”
Tournament games will be played every day this week through Friday at 4 p.m., 6 p.m., and 8 p.m. The championship game will be held on Friday.
“The first day of the tournament went very well. We had a lot of people come out and everyone had a great time,” he said.
Teams in the tournament are: Academy Lady Sting, Palmer Gold, Rusk Lady Eagles, Mart Green, Belton Outlawz, Buffalo Daggs, Rockdale Scrappers, Corsicana Lady Texas Rangers, Rockdale Dubs, Troy Lightning, Crockett Fireballs, Granger Lions, Edgewood Adrenaline and Comanche Maidens.
The Dubs were set to play at 8 p.m. Wednesday (July 22) and the Scrappers will play at 4 p.m.
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