Two Dare County Babe Ruth Softball teams—both of which won the state championship that was held June 25-29, 2022, in Havelock, North Carolina—were recognized at the Dare County Board of Commissioners meeting that was held at 5 p.m. on Monday, July 18, 2022.
Members of the 12u team and 8u team attended Monday’s meeting, where they were honored alongside their coaches for the historic wins with a presentation made by Dare County Board of Commissioners Chairman Bob Woodard.
“This is a really big accomplishment because no softball team from Dare County has ever won a state tournament—and this year there were two winners,” said Woodard. “These young ladies are truly remarkable, and their countless hours of practice clearly paid off. I’d like to commend them—as well as their coaches and assistant coaches—this evening on behalf of the Dare County Board of Commissioners for their excellent sportsmanship, dedication and this remarkable accomplishment that reflects so positively on our community.”
Dare County Babe Ruth Softball consists of players between the ages of 6 to 12, all of whom live in Dare County and attend Dare County schools. The league has three age divisions: 8u, 10u and 12u. During the 2022 championship in Havelock, the 10u team came in fourth place, while the 8u team defeated Jamesville by a score of 14-13, and the 12u team won the title with an 11-1 victory over New Bern.
“All three age groups attended the state tournament, and they represented the league and county in extraordinary fashion,” said Woodard. “On behalf of the Dare County Board of Commissioners, I commend all of you for your hard work and dedication to the sport—and for representing Dare County in such a positive way at the state championship.”
Dare County Babe Ruth Softball 8U Team:
Pictured from left to right: Front row: #4 Malaya Simmons, #3 Carriah McClease, #18 Mattie Huntingford, #1 Layla Gibbs, #7 Hadley White, #11 Emily Brodie (tournament MVP), #10 Jayden Ballance, #23 Cora Graham and #2 Brooke Bland.
Back row: Commissioner Danny Couch, Vice Chairman Wally Overman, Commissioner Ervin Bateman, Assistant Coach Tim White, Head Coach David White, Chairman Bob Woodard, Assistant Coach Chris Bland, Commissioner Jim Tobin, Commissioner Rob Ross and Commissioner Steve House.
Not Pictured: #8 Aubrey Berry, #22 Sophia Beatty, and Assistant Coach Judd Beatty.
Dare County Babe Ruth Softball 12U Team:
Pictured from left to right: Seated: #11 Lily Casias; Front row: #15 Adlyn Wescott, #10 Jada Flowers, #7 Jazz Cooper, #5 Avery Winslow, #12 Lillian Scarborough, #1 Makenna Gray, #20 Bella Huntingford, #8 Madison Adams and #0 McKenzie Dexter.
Back row: Commissioner Ervin Bateman, Vice Chairman Wally Overman, Commissioner Danny Couch, Chairman Bob Woodard, Commissioner Jim Tobin, Commissioner Steve House, Assistant Coach Melissa Gray, Head Coach Ricky Scarborough, Assistant Coach Lilyanne Arnold and Assistant Coach Henry Drake.
Not pictured: #43 Ryhanna Bateman (tournament MVP).