By Mandy Pascal

Winning is the only thing the Troy Dixie Softball  Belles have their eyes set on coming into the Sub-district tournament. The 13-15 year-old ladies are hoping to play hard and emerge from the tournament victorious.

“We have a great group of girls on the team,” said head coach Larry Sanders. “Some of these girls are the best hitters and pitchers around.”

It is rare to find a group 12 girls that are able to play any position they are placed in on the field, but the Belles have just that. More than half of the girls were on the team that went on to win the state tournament last year.

Troy won the Ponytails state tournament last year in dominant fashion. Troy rolled through the competition at the state tournament, winning all six games it played. The Ponytails scored 65 runs, and gave up just 13, winning by an average of over eight runs a game.

Although enthused and ready to get the games started, the Belles have experienced a slight set back.

“Our only concern is our lack of practice time,” Sanders said. “We were unable to practice due to the weather on Tuesday night, but we are still ready to play hard.”

When it comes to motivation, Coach Sanders said he did not have to worry about that.

“Having over half the team come from a state champion team is motivation enough. Those girls are ready to get out there and try to win again, so they have done a great job at motivating the rest of the team,” he said.

Just last Saturday the Belles did an excellent job when they competed in a warm-up tournament in Troy. This tournament consisted of four games, all of which the Belles won.

Troy, Greenville, Geneva and South Dale will converge on the Troy Sportsplex this weekend vying for a spot in the district tournament later this month.

The girls will face Greenville at the Troy Parks and Recreation Center, which is located just off Enzor Road. The first pitch will be thrown out at 8:00 p.m.