By By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
The Susiegray McConnell Sports Complex will be abuzz with softball activity this weekend.
A United States Fastpitch Association (USFA) tournament featuring 21 teams in four age brackets will be held Saturday and Sunday at the complex.
The format is two pool games, followed by a double-elimination tournament. Games will take place on four fields, beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday with pool play. Action will resume at 9 a.m. Sunday with loser bracket contests.
Greg Dority, President of the Washington Girls Softball League, is excited that the city is hosting the large travel-ball tournament.
Dority is hoping the tournament will be a nice test-run for the Babe Ruth District 6 Tournament, which will be held in Washington in June. Washington is also the frontrunner for the Babe Ruth Southeastern Regional tournament in 2010.
While the league will be using the tournament as a dry run, the fields may get wet as rain is in the forecast for the weekend. Dority is hoping that won’t be a problem.
Several strong local teams will be competing this weekend, while a handful of players are playing up an age. The 12U Dirt Devils will be competing in the 14U division, while the 14U East Carolina Angels are playing in the high school division.
There will be first-, second- and third-place team plaques awarded, along with first- and second-place individual trophies in each bracket.
The 8U will be a Saturday-only tournament, while all other teams will return Sunday.
Teams competing in the 8U bracket are the Carolina Dirt Devils, Carolina Lady Pilots and Carolina Screamers.
Teams participating in the 10U division are the Perquimans Pride, Carolina Dirt Devils, Pitt County Heartbreakers and Carolina Lady Pilots.
Competing in the 14U division will be the Greene County Heartbreakers, Carolina Dirt Devils, Carolina Lookouts (Bissette), Carolina Dirt Devils (12U), Wayne County Hurricanes, Wake Forest Rockers and Stretchlon Lady Stars.
Making up the high school bracket are the Carolina Dirt Devils (93), Pitt County Heartbreakers, Carolina Angels, Carolina Dirt Devils (94), Wayne County Hurricanes (Keith), East Carolina Angels (14U) and Wayne County Hurricanes (Curt).
POOL GAME TIMES FOR SATURDAY
FIELD 3
9:00 HS EC ANGELS (14U) VS DIRT DEVILS (94)
10:15 14U DIRT DEVILS (12U) VS GC HEARTBREAKERS
11:30 14U LADY STARS VS DIRT DEVILS
12:45 14U DIRT DEVILS (12U) VS WF ROCKERS
2:00 14U LADY STARS VS HURRICANES
3:15 14U WF ROCKERS VS DIRT DEVILS
FIELD 4
9:00 10U PC HEARTBREAKERS VS DIRT DEVILS
10:15 10U P. PRIDE VS DIRT DEVILS
11:30 8U DIRT DEVILS VS LADY PILOTS
12:45 8U SCREAMERS VS LADY PILOTS
2:00 8U DIRT DEVILS VS SCREAMERS
FIELD 5
9:00 10U P. PRIDE VS LADY PILOTS
10:15 10U PC HEARTBREAKERS VS LADY PILOTS
11:30 14U HURRICANES VS LOOKOUTS (BISSETTE)
12:45 14U GC HEARTBREAKERS VS LOOKOUTS (BISSETTE)
FIELD 6
9:00 HS DIRT DEVILS (93) VS PC HEARTBREAKERS
10:15 HS DIRT DEVILS (93) VS CAR. ANGELS
11:30 HS EC ANGELS (14U) VS HURRICANES (CURT)
12:45 HS HURRICANES (KEITH) VS DIRT DEVILS (94)
2:00 HS PC HEARTBREAKERS VS HURRICANES (CURT)
3:15 HS CAR. ANGELS VS HURRICANES (KEITH)
1. Carolina Dirt Devils
2. Carolina Lady Pilots
3. Carolina Screamers
1. Perquimans Pride
2. Carolina Dirt Devils
3. Pitt County Heartbreakers
4. Carolina Lady Pilots
1. Greene County Heartbreakers
2. Carolina Dirt Devils
3. Carolina Lookouts (Bissette)
4. Carolina Dirt Devils (12U)
5. Wayne County Hurricanes
6. Wake Forest Rockers
7. Stretchlon Lady Stars
High School
1. Carolina Dirt Devils (93)
2. Pitt County Heartbreakers
3. Carolina Angels
4. Carolina Dirt Devils (94)
5. Wayne County Hurricanes (Keith)
6. East Carolina Angels (14U)
7. Wayne County Hurricanes (Curt)