The Troy 8U Darlings went undefeated once again in the Dixie 8U Softball State Tournament in Montgomery to earn a spot in the upcoming 8U World Series in Louisiana. 

The Troy Darlings dominated at the state tournament, winning all five games by a combined 104-12. In fact, Troy gave up runs in just two of its five games.

“I was extremely proud of them,” 8U Coach Will Starling said. “They worked so hard, prepared the right way and they executed when they got there. You could tell they put the work in, they stood out at the tournament.”

The Troy Darlings are made up of Sawyer Blair, Madelyn Crowe, Mary George Crowe, Madi Davis, Kinsley Jackson, Zoey King, Colin Pugh, Tuner Rhodes, Ansley Starling, Zaylie Sullins, Ivey Webb and Kynslee Wilkerson.  

The Darlings were coming off a complete sweep at the District Tournament and have yet to lose a single game in the postseason. 

“It’s not easy for an 8-year-old to go out and practice every day,” Starling said. “What they do every day, when you watch them compared to others their age, is they run the bases really well. We do all the little things well. 

“We run the bases, we take care of the ball and don’t make a lot of errors; just those little things. That’s tough for an 8-year-old. The concentration and effort and toughness they’ve played with, I couldn’t be any more proud of them.”

The Troy Darlings will head to Ruston, La., for the Dixie 8U Softball World Series beginning July 26. 

“I want to see them have the same focus and determination,” said Starling. “They do a really good job of being good teammates, too. They pick each other up. No matter what, winning is fun, but we want them to be in a fun environment. They’re still eight years old, so we want them to have fun out there.”