After a second-place finish in the district tournament at the Sportsplex, the Troy Darlings begin play in the state tournament this morning in Scottsboro.

Out of nine teams, head coach Scottie Chandler’s Darlings finished in second place, an accomplishment that did not go unnoticed.

“They played well,” Chandler said. “There were nine teams at district and they finished in second. The girls are more than capable playing softball. We just continue to work on fundamentals to get ready for state.”

It’s been just over two weeks since Troy hoisted their trophy. With two weeks to prepare for their next tournament, Chandler decided to implement a little more fun in their practices.

“We mixed things up, trying to make it fun for the girls,” Chandler said. “That’s the reason we are here. We did some fun drills and some fun games, trying to condition them and improve their skills by making it a game. It was a lot easier for them to do it.”

Only 10 batters are allowed to come to the plate in one inning in the seven and eight age group. In district play, Troy was able to have 10 batters come to the plate and have all them score.

“We hope that every batter goes up and is able to hit the ball,” Chandler said. “We scored 10 runs in an inning and I think it was the only time it happened in the district tournament. It’s awesome to have all 10 batters score in one inning.”

Having a strong defense at this age group usually plays a big role in a team’s success. Chandler believes his defense has what it takes to be successful at the state level.

“The defense is pretty good. They have to watch out for overflows, but as long everybody gets in front of the ball, blocks it and makes the throw to third or first you will do extremely well. The girls are more than capable of doing it, they just have to come out and accomplish the task.”

Troy will be joined in Scottsboro by Dothan, Montgomery American, Tallassee, Scottsboro, Enterprise, Central, Underwood and Taylor Rehobeth.

“There is a lot of good competition at the state level,” Chandler said. “Tallassee is always strong. Montgomery American, Dothan and Enterprise have a strong team. There is going to be some stiff competition.”

Along with Chandler, the Darlings are coached by Tom Smith, Michael Hatten and Steve Stroud. Players include Kailia Beacham, Poloma Cain, Lexie Chandler, Leah Dixon, Morgan Gardner, Alexis Hatten, Rylan Mitchell, Emmya Moultry, Charley Kate Smith, Abbigale Stroud, Lyla Tompkins and Addyson Townsend.

Troy will take on the winner of Tallassee and Scottsboro beginning at 9 a.m.