Sports

Eastlake Little League Softball Wins State Tournament

Eastlake LL Softball (Majors) All-Stars face Alaska Little League Softball champs Gastineau Channel at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 19 in their first regional game in San Bernardino, California.

Eastlake Little League's (Majors) All-Star Softball team went undefeated in the state tournament to win the state title on July 11, earning them a berth in a regional tournament this weekend in California and keeping the dream of reaching the Little League Softball World Series alive.

The softball players, a mix of 5th-7th graders, claimed the state championship title outright in a closely fought 9-8 victory over a combined Mill Creek/South Everett Little League team last week at Auburn's Sunset Park. Star pitcher and slugger Sophia Robinson blasted a 2-run homer over the fences in the third inning to key the win.

They will represent Washington state this weekend in the 2013 Little League Western Regional Softball Tournament, July 19-26 in San Bernardino, California. Eastlake will also play games against teams representing Montana, Idaho, and Oregon.

"They are on cloud nine," said team manager Steve Pollis. "It didn't take them long to ask 'Are we going to Disneyland?'"

The team is a collection of Eastlake Little League's best a brightest players, which count 210 players total. Pollis said the team's state title banner would hang in right field at Eastlake High School to compliment EHS's 2008 state title banner in left field.

"They're starting to understand what it means to be role models," he said.

Eastlake Little League last won a state title 13 years ago after a 9/10 All-Stars won in 1999 and 2000 β€” and several players from that team went on to play on the Eastlake High state championship team. It marks the first time in Eastlake Little League for any team, boys or girls, have advanced to the regional level.

They will first face Alaska Little League Softball champs Gastineau Channel at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 19 in their first regional game at Houghton Stadium in in San Bernardino. The winner of the regional tournament will advance to the Little League Softball World Series in Portland, OR, Aug. 8-14.

Here's the roster of the Eastlake Little League All-Star Softball Team, in the order displayed above in the photo:

(Left to Right) 1st Row: Georgia Robinson, Mackenzie Kurtz, Sophia Robinson. 2nd Row: Belle deOliveira, Kailey Mohamed, Natalie Guinasso, Josie Charles, Morgan Olynyk, Courtney Zaidi, Regan Hines, Coach Don Hines. Back rows:Β Ryan Kurtz, Manager Steve Pollis, Peyton Wright, Coach Steve Olynyk, Hannah Butterklee, Kaitlyn Recob


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