Nine Richland One students are about to batter up against some of the best Little League softball teams in the Southeast. The students are members of the Trenholm Little League Majors softball team, which is set to compete in the Little League Softball Southeast region tournament July 24-28 in Warner Robins, Georgia. This is the team’s first trip to the Southeast region tournament.
The winning team will move on to the Little League Softball World Series in Greenville, North Carolina August 6-13.
The Trenholm Little League Majors team won the state championship on July 9, defeating Irmo 7-5 in the finals and going undefeated for the entire state tournament.
“It was a hard-fought game against Irmo. The team was pretty ecstatic when they won and were named state champions. The team has worked really hard for it and they’ve earned the chance to go to regionals,” said Kennedy Moore, the team’s assistant coach and a physical education teacher at Brennen Elementary School.
Moore says the team has been practicing almost every day for two hours as they prepare for the regional tournament.
“We’ve been working very hard. I’ve been telling them this tournament is the experience of a lifetime. But, most importantly, they should have fun and enjoy it,” she said.
Moore’s daughter, Kayleigh, who is a student at Crayton Middle School, plays third base for the team. She says she has a great bond with her teammates, on and off the field.
“Being together almost every day of the week has really helped us bond. This tournament is something not a lot of people are going to experience. We’re really excited about this,” Kayleigh said.
For Ma’Khari Jones, a student at St. Andrews Middle School who plays center field, this is her last year playing Little League. She says she’s looking forward to meeting other players from across the region and having fun with her teammates during the tournament.
“I’ve made some of my best friends on this team. I get along so well with my teammates and coaches. Softball has really been a great way for me to make friends and have fun,” she said.
Ma’Khari plans to continue playing softball after her time in Little League is over, but she says the chance to play in the tournament will be a memory she’ll remember for a long time.
“This is going to be a great experience for me,” Ma’Khari said.
The other Richland One students who are members of the team are:
- Darielle Peay – W.G. Sanders Middle School
- Sunny Carlisle – Crayton Middle School
- Kaiyah Hampton – Crayton Middle School
- Jessica Terry – Crayton Middle School
- Grayson Cobia – Crayton Middle School
- Olivia Buchanan – Crayton Middle School
- Lucy Hoppmann – Crayton Middle School
The Trenholm Little League Majors team’s first game in the Southeast region tournament will be against the McLean Softball Little League team from Virginia. The game is set for Monday, July 24 at 2 p.m. and will be livestreamed on ESPN+.
An official watch party for the team’s first game will be held at the Nickelodeon Theater (1607 Main Street, Columbia, SC 29201). Doors open at 1:30 p.m. Admission is free. To RSVP for the watch party, visit https://forms.gle/jKkynjeQJFfqSbv8A.
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PHOTO: The Trenholm Little League Majors softball team won the state championship in the Little League Softball State Tournament in Florence July 9. The team will be competing in the Little League Softball Southeast region tournament in Warner Robins, Georgia. Nine Richland One students are members of the team.
