By Tonya Oskarson
Last week, the Buford Softball 10U team competed in the USSSA Rec All-Star World Series at Foley Sports Complex in Foley, AL. The girls went 2-0 in pool play on Wednesday with a 14-5 victory over Central Baldwin and a 2-0 victory over Para Blue. Buford was the No. 7 seed in bracket play and took out NWRAA 9-0 and Gilbertown 9-2 on Thursday. On Friday, the girls started out with a 6-0 victory over Gospel Projects and then took down their rivals Mill Creek Gold 7-2 to make it to the championship game undefeated.
Buford was matched up with the home team, Gulf Shores, in the championship game. The heat and third game of the day took its toll on Buford and they lost the first game, 11-3, giving both teams one loss and forcing a second championship game.
The two teams battled back and forth in the nightcap. With the score tied at 5 in the last inning and runners on second and third, Reese Oskarson hit a single to right field to score Kennedy Lundie and Quinn Kiewert. The Lady Wolves gave up one run in the bottom of the inning. With the tying run on third, Gulf Shores tried to steal home on a passed ball and catcher Reagan Dollar made a perfect flip to pitcher Lexi Bishop who tagged the girl for the final out and the 7-6 win, sealing the championship for the Lady Wolves in the pouring rain as Tropical Storm Barry moved in.
“I am super proud of our team. Every girl contributed in every game,” said Head Coach Shawn Archer. “Our girls worked hard and it paid off. Lexi Bishop pitched lights out in all eight games of the World Series and our bats showed up. We had five girls bat 1,000 in the championship game and we had two with 2 RBIs. I can’t say enough how proud I am of how our girls played this week.”
Lexi Bishop was indeed huge for Buford the entire tournament, pitching every game. The Lady Wolves finished the tournament 7-1 and brought home the huge trophy, and each girl received a championship ring.
The 10U team was 22-6-1 in five tournaments with two championships, two runner-up finishes, and one third-place finish.
As a team, the Lady Wolves only gave up three hits in the final game and went 9-for-17 at the plate. Kami Vendola, Claire Carlson and Kyra Rosbury went 2-for-2; Kennedy Lundie was 1-for-1 in the championship game with a hit and walk, and Reese Oskarson was also 1-for-1. Rosbury and Oskarson both had 2 RBIs.
