Troy Belles dominate their way to State Softball Tournament
Published 11:30 am Tuesday, June 17, 2025
- The Troy 15U Belles won the district tournament with an undefeated record. Pictured, top row from left, are Calleigh Compton, Abigail Stroud, Mary Clark Brown, Hailey Griffin, Janazia Cantlow, Shelly Stephens, Brooke Horn and assistant coach Lakin Turner. Front row, from left, is Madison Nelson, Reece Garrett, Yaley McLendon, Riley Burkett and Mary Holland Stephens. Back row, from left, is assistant coach Runt Stone and head coach Scott Reeder. (Submitted)
The Troy 15U All-Stars swept their way through the Dixie Belles 15U District Softball Tournament in Geneva with a 15-4 win over Eufaula in the district championship on Monday.
The Troy Belles went 5-0 in the tournament and outscored their opponents by an eye-popping 98-4, giving up their only four runs of the tournament in the championship game. Troy defeated Greenville 17-1 in the first game on June 12 and then defeated Eufaula 25-0 on June 13. On June 14, Troy beat Zion Chapel 20-0 and then knocked off Greenville 15-0 to make their way to the championship round undefeated.
“They played really well, they really dominated,” Troy Belles Head Coach Scott Reeder said. “We didn’t play a single game that went over four innings in the tournament (because of the run-rule). The girls dominated and their bats were almost unstoppable. We couldn’t have asked for any better pitching.”
In the championship game, Pike Liberal Arts’ Shelly Stephens went 3-for-3 at the plate with a double, an RBI and three runs, while Charles Henderson’s Reece Garrett went 3-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and three runs. Pike Lib’s Riley Burkett also drove in three runs, while Mary Holland Stephens pitched three innings and fanned five batters, while giving up no runs or hits.
The Troy Belles had a total of eight batters that hit over .500 in the tournament. Garrett earned a .727 batting average with four doubles, six RBIs and 11 runs, while Abigail Stroud earned a .700 batting average with three doubles, 10 RBIs and eight runs. Brooke Horn also earned a .700 batting average with a triple, eight RBIs and 10 runs. Pike Lib’s Yaley McLendon scored 11 runs.
In six innings in the circle, Mary Holland Stephens struck out 11 batters, while boasting a 1.167 ERA. Stroud tallied 19 putouts and one assist with no errors, while Pike County’s Hailey Griffin earned 10 putouts and no errors. Charles Henderson’s Janazia Cantlow also tallied five putouts, four assists and no fielding errors.
“No one player outshined anyone else,” Reeder said. “It really was a complete team effort from our girls and I’m really proud of that.”
The Troy Belles will head to Montgomery for the State Tournament next week.
“I want to see the same things from them; hitting and great pitching,” Reeder said. “The bats, 1-12, are super strong and that will be the key for us. Our bats should be able to keep us going even if the pitching struggles.”
