Tift youth softball team places at state

Published 7:00 pm Thursday, July 12, 2018

TIFTON — The Tift County 12U softball team closed out the state tournament Wednesday and finished as the fifth best team in the state.

Tift, competing in the Georgia Recreation and Park Association Class A/B state fastpitch softball tournament in Augusta, went 1-2 in tournament play. They tied with Wayne County for the fifth place slot. Lyons won the tournament crown.

The locals dropped their opening game Tuesday to Troup County, 3-0, moving them to the bottom bracket. Tift struck back with a 10-9 victory over South Bryan Wednesday morning, but were eliminated by Vidalia, 14-2, later that afternoon.

Tift County Recreation Department Director Craig Sowell was hard-pressed to recall the last local softball team who advanced this far. He remembered an 18U team going to state approximately 25 years ago.

Making it to state was a big honor, he said.

“We are very proud,” said Sowell.