Jul. 17—The Zionsville Little League 10U Softball All-Stars have started the state tournament off with mixed results.
Playing up in Demotte at Roselawn Little League, ZLL is 1-1 in their opening two games of pool play.
On Thursday night, the All-Stars started the state tournament off with a 12-0 win over Don Ayres Little League.
Zionsville started off strong right away. After a double by Olivia Deaton and a single by Olivia Patton, Claire Stoops got Zionsville on the board with a 2-run single.
Zionsville added to the lead in the top of the second.
With two on and two outs, Patton hit an RBI-single to score Allie Trout to make it 3-0. After a walk loaded the bases, an RBI-single by Sienna Kirschner and a 2-run single by Amelia McKenna pushed the lead to 6-0.
Zionsville added a run in the third on a wild pitch, then put the game away in the fourth.
A one-out, RBI-sinlge by Trout made it 8-0. With the bases loaded, Chandler Scharr hit an RBI-ground out to make it 9-0. Later in the inning, a 2-run single play Olivia Patton and an RBI-single by Stoops made it 12-0.
Patton was 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Stoops, Kirschner, McKenna and Trout all had two hits. Stoops drove in three and McKenna drove in two.
Deaton scored three runs, going 1-for-2 with a walk.
In the circle, Stoops and Deaton combined on a no-hitter. Each girls pitched two innings and struck out five batters.
In Zionsville’s second game of pool play on Friday, they lost to Chet Waggoner Little League 4-2. Down 3-0 after a half inning, Zionsville got on the board in the bottom of the first on an RBI-double by Stoops.
The game stayed at 3-1 until the top of the sixth, when Chet Waggoner scored to make it 4-1.
The All-Stars looked to start a rally with a lead-off double, but an out on the base paths left Zionsville with none on and two outs.
McKenna doubled and scored on a Patton single to make it 4-2, before another single by Sophia Stubos put the tying run on base. But Zionsville was unable to complete the comeback.
Some bad weather had delayed some of the schedule in Demotte for the weekend.
Zionsville was scheduled to play Floyd Knobs on Friday night and Demotte on Saturday morning to round out pool play.
Those games will be pushed back due to rain.
After pool play, the top-4 teams will play a single elimination tournament on Sunday to determine the champion.
The 10U Softball All-Stars are one of six local teams that will be competing for Little League State Titles in the next week.
Zionsville has five teams, with the 12U Softball All-Stars, 10U Baseball, 11U Baseball and 12U Baseball teams all playing in state tournaments. The Lebanon Little League 13U All-Stars will also be playing for a state title.
Will Willems is the Sports Editor of the Lebanon Reporter. Follow him on Twitter @Will_Willems.