Union County 12U Little League Softball team wins state title, heads to regionals
By Joe Hathaway on Monday, July 15th, 2024 in Northeastern Oregon News
UNION COUNTY — The Union County 12U Little League softball team clinched the state championship after a series of impressive comebacks, earning their place in the regional tournament in San Bernardino, California.
In the championship game of the state Little League tournament, held outside of Salem, Union County faced North Bend and overcame a six-run deficit to win 7-6. “The girls just had a switch,” said Manager Kristin Farley. “They went from being a little down to finding their energy again. They came back, got five runs in the fifth, shut down North Bend, and then got two more in the sixth to win the game.”
The semifinal game against South Beaverton also showcased the team’s resilience. Down by four runs in the fifth inning, the girls rallied to tie the game and secured a 6-4 victory in the sixth inning.
“This group of girls is just amazing,” Farley said. “They’re super talented athletes and really good humans.”
Now, they prepare for regionals, which start on July 20 in Southern California. The team will travel to Portland on Wednesday, fly out on Thursday, and participate in the opening ceremony on Friday.
“It’s a pretty big deal,” said Farley. “They pay for us to fly, put us up at a hotel, and the games will all be televised.”
The team comprises players from various towns within Union County, including La Grande, Elgin, Cove, and Union. The roster includes Lily Hunt, Sierra Gibson, Kailey Hadden, Audrey Young, Braylin Nay, Alexa Nay, Olivia Worsech, Raynee Demmert, Sydney Pollard, Ryder Culley, London Farley, and Aspen Decker.
“It really truly is all of Union County that’s going,” Farley noted.
Farley says the girls, all aged 11 and 12, are excited and focused as they head to California. She credits the supportive community and the parents for the team’s success. “This community has been extremely supportive,” she said. “We’ve been very lucky and blessed with quite a bit of sponsors and people wanting to help make the girls’ trip fun and worthwhile.”
Union County’s journey continues with their first regional game on July 20, where they will play the winner of the Idaho and Wyoming game. With a first-round bye, they need to win only three games to advance to the Little League World Series.
Union County’s first game will air at 7:00pm on Sunday, July 21 on ESPN+
“The last team from our area to go to regionals was in 2022,” Farley said. “Our valley puts out some ball players.”
