Lincoln County’s Alisha Rowe dives back to 3rd base under the tag and is safe during the championship game with Enterprise. (Courtey photo)
The Lincoln County and Alamo Junior 14-under girls softball teams placed second June 7-8 at the Kanab Invitational Girls Softball Tournament.
Coach Dan Lloyd said the team won four games in the eight-team tournament, but lost 11-7 in the Gold Bracket championship to Enterprise, Utah.
He said they beat Beaver, Utah; Moapa; South Sevier, Utah; and Page, Ariz., in the early rounds, but he did not have scores. “We beat these other teams pretty good, and in the championship had a 3-2 lead in the fourth inning, but lost 11-7.”
The Lincoln team is made up of girls from the Pioche-Panaca-Caliente area and include Haydon Brook, Kia Phillips, Alisha Rowe, Easton Tingey, Drew Cardinal, Chesnee Harding, Abby Schimbeck, Hannah Lytle, Josie Burgess, Cameron Lloyd and Crystal Jackson.
This is the first year Lloyd has coached the team and said his main idea was “to get the 8th graders to play with some of the high school freshman players this year, get them familiar with each other, and get them tuned up for the high school season next spring under coach Pat Kelley.”
Lloyd said his middle school team had been going over to St. George, Utah, every Thursday to play double-headers in the St. George Junior Softball League. They had a record of 13-1 in the league.
“After that was over, I thought I would combine them with some of the high school freshman players, 14 and under, and see what we could do,” he said.
The Alamo Junior girls softball team under coach Guy Davis also participated in the Silver Bracket of the tournament and took second place, losing to Page, Ariz.
The girls tied Kanab 3-3 in the first game, then lost to Moapa. The next day they lost to Enterprise, beat Kanab 8-7, and then lost to Page.
The Lincoln County team did very well at the Kanab tournament,” Lloyd said, “pitching and hitting was our real strengths. They are pretty solid at all positions, not weak at anything. We had two catchers (Phillips and Rowe), that we could alternate when we wanted.”
Some of the older Lincoln High players have also come to help out at practice. “It helps these girls get familiar with who are going to be their teammates next spring and they will have had a chance to play together going in. I’m trying to teach these girls that where they get better is in the off-season. That’s when they work on the things that need improvement.”
Assistant coaches include Shawn Lytle, Evan Shimbeck and Tom Sears.
Lloyd said the team will continue to play what games they can find this summer, some in St. George, some in Mesquite, plus participate in a tournament in South Sevier, Utah, and a few others.
Lincoln is even hosting a double-header set with both Pahrump and Enterprise, Utah, June 14. Game times are 1, 3, 5 and 7 p.m. at the high school field.
