The Indiana Thunder 12U team won the NSA Softball Fast Pitch Girls 12U Class B Championship in Warsaw, Ind. recently.

The team is made up of girls from the Michiana area including Elyse Zimmerman from Niles and Kaylee Ryker from Edwardsburg.

The 12U Thunder went undefeated with wins against Munster Magic (7-0), Indiana Angels (10-5), Howard County Thunder (3-2), Zoom (5-1), Indiana Angels (10-2) and the Howard County Inferno (2-1 in the semifinals).

The Thunder won the championship game against the Inferno with a 12-0 victory.

A total of 27 teams participated in the tournament.

The Indiana Thunder 12U also won the Hurricanes 4th Annual NSA World Series Qualifier tournament Father’s Day weekend with wins over the Edwardsburg Flash, Explosion, Kalamazoo Klash, the Hurricanes, Brown’s Fastpitch and the Lakeshore Pirates in the championship game.

The Edwardsburg 12U Flash consists of (front from left) Rileigh Disher, Ali Strycker, Kailee Claire, Hannah Shoupe and Savannah Dixon. The second row is made up of Layne Stinnett, Michaela Hartline, Makenna Hartline and Paige Freshour. In back are coaches Dean Dixon, Brad Strycker and Tom Shoupe. (Vigilant/Argus photo/Provided)

Edwardsburg 12U Flash

Two weeks ago some local girls traveled to Lansing to compete in the National Softball Association Michigan State Championship.

This is an extrordianary group of girls that played softball together in Little League two years ago and are now the 12U Edwardsburg Flash.

They decided that they wanted to play more ball and see better competition, so they started to travel to tournaments. Under the direction of manager Joe Coti and three dedicated coaches; Tom Shoupe, Dean Dixon and Brad Strycker, the girls began to work hard and improve their game.

For anyone that has been around travel softball, they know that it is a year round sport, practicing winters, playing in indoor tournaments and then spending most of your summer at the ball park.

The girls play around 100 games each summer, traveling from Indianapolis to Lansing and everywhere in between.

In Lansing they competed for four days, against 27 teams, from all around Michigan. Most of these teams are from bigger cities, hold tryouts and draft the best players around.

Our small 10-girl park team went undefeated in the winner’s bracket, until the championship game. In the end, some untimely errors squashed their dreams of being state champs.

Taking second place in this tournament has fueled their excitement to go to the NSA Class B World Series in Hamilton County, Ind. It will be the last week of July and the girls are busy raising money and getting sponsors to help with the cost of this week long softball adventure.

If anyone is interested in making a donation to help these girls fulfill their softball dream at the World Series, please contact Janet Strycker at (269) 699-9106.