Last week’s Babe Ruth District 6 All-Star Softball Tournament showcased some of the top talent in the area and featured teams from Washington, Chocowinity, Jamesville, Bear Grass, East Beaufort and one that represented Hyde and Tyrrell Country.

Every team put it all on the line for a spot in the state tournament next week, but in the end, Washington was the last team standing in each of the five age groups. To its credit, East Beaufort, a team made up of All-Star selections from Bath and Belhaven, also found itself in the finals of the 16U, 14U, 12U, 10U and 8U championships, but were unable to close any of the five championship series.

The success of both East Beaufort and Washington, especially Washington, in District 6 is a testament to the raw softball skill present in Beaufort County that will eventually work its way up to the high school level.

It’s a new wave of talent that will soon restock two powerhouse programs at Washington and Northside High Schools.

The Pam Pack, already full of players who have worked their way through the All-Star system, finished 16-4 with a sub-one ERA and .366 team batting average. For Keith Boyd’s Northside team, a 21-2 record, .424 team batting average and 1.20 ERA was hardly the finish the Panthers were looking for, coming three wins short of their initial and expected goal.

With a new crop of talent coming up, expectations will only increase for both these two esteemed programs. Washington 14U hurler Abbi Tucker could be the next Haley Hutchins, East Beaufort’s Savannah Slade could be the next Kendall Alligood and Rachel Lang, well, is already proving she can play with the best, finishing her freshman season at Northside with a .469 average and 17 RBI.

The Washington 8U, 10U and 12U All-Star teams will head to Kinston on Saturday to compete in the 2014 Babe Ruth Softball State Tournament. Continued success will only mean a bolstered reputation for Beaufort County softball.