The Riverbank 10-u all-star team took their second place Hilmar Tournament finish to the next level with an impressive Riverbank Tournament championship win July 19 at Castleberg Park.
Riverbank's softball scene is clearly on the rise, getting strong showings from the 10-u, 12-u as well as the 14-u teams. The teams used the momentum built in the Hilmar Tournament for a strong showing in the annual Riverbank Tournament hosted by the all-star squads.
Fans flooded Castleberg Park July 17-19 to watch as the young ladies did battle against some 10 teams, looking to cement a strong performance by closing out the summer season on top.
The 10-u all-star team looked like a determined group of girls after blasting their way to victory in the tournament opener and staying hot with an impressive victory over the Explosion of Stockton.
The squad went 5-0 on their way to the title, blasting Delhi in the tournament championship to keep the title in Riverbank.
"The girls were very happy and very excited," Tournament director Dave Allen said. "They were pumped to turn it around after a second place finish in Hilmar and then be able to win our tournament. I was proud of the girls.
"It was hot and they came out and played hard and came out on top."
The Riverbank Chaos created havoc in the batters box and on the base paths, breaking out the "rally caps" for a huge inning, pushing the Stockton team over the ledge in semi-final action.
The all-star team had several standouts, yet pitcher Briana Allen gave the team the only boost they would need with a pitching performance clearly worthy of note.
Opponents often have difficulty finding the strike zone at the 10-u level, but Allen was impressive in her action Saturday, keeping the Explosion hitters off balance and fielding her position when batters were able to put the ball in play.
Riverbank didn't seem to be affected by the scorching triple-digit temperatures, cheering from the dugout without ceasing in support of one another during the victory.
The strong showing in the tournament was no hoax from the 10-year-olds who put together as strong a showing in the runner-up finish in the Hilmar Tournament.
The 12-u team began Hilmar action earlier this month with two mercy-rule victories before landing in the title game against tournament host Hilmar. The double-elimination style tournament proved to be deadly for Riverbank after the 12's handled Hilmar with ease in the first game, but could not seal the deal in the tournament finale.
The squad had to do battle short-handed on the final day, having to settle for second place honors against the host team.
Riverbank also had a fair share of success in the 14-u division, walking away from the Hilmar Tournament with a third-place finish, and maintained that pace during this weekend's Riverbank Tourney, finishing in third place.
The 8-u team had a fifth place finish while the 12-u team closed the Riverbank Tournament as runner-ups. Even with only one host team grabbing a title, the tournament really was a hit on all levels.
"It was a lot of work by everyone involved," Allen said. "It took over a month of planning from everybody just trying to get it all together.
"I think everything played out really well. It was hot and everybody did their part to make it run smooth."
Riverbank's softball scene is clearly on the rise, getting strong showings from the 10-u, 12-u as well as the 14-u teams. The teams used the momentum built in the Hilmar Tournament for a strong showing in the annual Riverbank Tournament hosted by the all-star squads.
Fans flooded Castleberg Park July 17-19 to watch as the young ladies did battle against some 10 teams, looking to cement a strong performance by closing out the summer season on top.
The 10-u all-star team looked like a determined group of girls after blasting their way to victory in the tournament opener and staying hot with an impressive victory over the Explosion of Stockton.
The squad went 5-0 on their way to the title, blasting Delhi in the tournament championship to keep the title in Riverbank.
"The girls were very happy and very excited," Tournament director Dave Allen said. "They were pumped to turn it around after a second place finish in Hilmar and then be able to win our tournament. I was proud of the girls.
"It was hot and they came out and played hard and came out on top."
The Riverbank Chaos created havoc in the batters box and on the base paths, breaking out the "rally caps" for a huge inning, pushing the Stockton team over the ledge in semi-final action.
The all-star team had several standouts, yet pitcher Briana Allen gave the team the only boost they would need with a pitching performance clearly worthy of note.
Opponents often have difficulty finding the strike zone at the 10-u level, but Allen was impressive in her action Saturday, keeping the Explosion hitters off balance and fielding her position when batters were able to put the ball in play.
Riverbank didn't seem to be affected by the scorching triple-digit temperatures, cheering from the dugout without ceasing in support of one another during the victory.
The strong showing in the tournament was no hoax from the 10-year-olds who put together as strong a showing in the runner-up finish in the Hilmar Tournament.
The 12-u team began Hilmar action earlier this month with two mercy-rule victories before landing in the title game against tournament host Hilmar. The double-elimination style tournament proved to be deadly for Riverbank after the 12's handled Hilmar with ease in the first game, but could not seal the deal in the tournament finale.
The squad had to do battle short-handed on the final day, having to settle for second place honors against the host team.
Riverbank also had a fair share of success in the 14-u division, walking away from the Hilmar Tournament with a third-place finish, and maintained that pace during this weekend's Riverbank Tourney, finishing in third place.
The 8-u team had a fifth place finish while the 12-u team closed the Riverbank Tournament as runner-ups. Even with only one host team grabbing a title, the tournament really was a hit on all levels.
"It was a lot of work by everyone involved," Allen said. "It took over a month of planning from everybody just trying to get it all together.
"I think everything played out really well. It was hot and everybody did their part to make it run smooth."
