Softball

Submitting sports notices The deadline for submitting sports copy is 9 a.m. Monday. We prefer email (howardcountysports@patuxent.com). Questions? Call 410-332-6605. Softball The Western Howard County Fever girls fastpitch travel program will hold tryouts at Western Regional Park on field 3 as follows: 10-U: noon-2:30 p.m., Aug. 12 and 19. Email josephgunkel@yahoo.com . 11-U: noon-2:30 p.m, Aug. 11 and 25; 6:30-8:30 p.m., Aug. 15. Email r.conaway@live.com . 12-U: 2:30-5 p.m., Aug. 12; noon-2:30 p.m., Aug. 19. Email jim.morton@nara.gov . 13-UC: 6:30-8:30 p.m., Aug. 8; noon-2:30 p.m., Aug. 26. Email billb@laurel.md.us . 13-U: noon-2:30 p.m., Aug. 12; 2:30-5 p.m., Aug. 18 and 19. Email coachkarl@verizon.net . 14-U: noon-2:30 p.m., Aug. 12; 2:30-5 p.m., Aug. 18 and 19. Email kennym98@hotmail.com 15-U: 9:30-noon, Aug. 12 and 19. Email colosimom@comcast.net . 16-U: 9:30-noon, Aug. 12 and 19. Email mgoheen@steuart.com . 18-UB: noon-2:30 p.m., Aug. 19 and 25. Email her0296@comcast.net . 18-UA: 2:30-5 p.m., Aug. 11 and 18. Email bkellner@advancentech.net . Private tryouts may also be offered by individual coaches.

The Perryville Junior Softball All-Stars, for players ages 13 and 14, continue their quest Friday to reach the World Series for their division of Little League in the East Region at West Haven, Conn. The winner of the week-long East Region advances to the Junior Softball Division World Series beginning Aug. 12 in Kirkland, Wash. Perryville, the Maryland State Champion, begins pool play today at 1:30 p.m. against New York. Perryville's second game is at 1:30 p.m. Saturday against the Delaware State Champion.

Havre de Grace's bid for the Maryland State Little League senior softball title ended in five innings Saturday afternoon. St. Mary's scored nine runs in its first at bat and then added two more in the fifth for the 11-1 win. Havre de Grace scored its only run in the top of the first on Megan Thompson's second home run in as many days. Thompson's blast was to dead center field. In the bottom of the first, St. Mary's used two hit batters to get the nine-run rally started. Two doubles, a single and a sac fly ensued off starting pitcher Ashley Algard.

Lauren Gibson has always dreamed big, even when she was sporting an extra-small Lake Shore Lightning softball uniform that drenched her as the 4-year-old batgirl for her older sister's club team. Set to turn 21 next month, the former Chesapeake-AA standout has found a uniform that fits just fine these days, while fulfilling that lifelong dream. In her second year as a member of the USA women's national team, Gibson has become a fixture as its starting second baseman. Team USA will compete in the Women's World Fastpitch Championships set to begin Thursday in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada.  "To be able to play for my country is just amazing," said Gibson, an All-American at Tennessee who will be a senior this fall.

Milton Lee Eckstein Jr., a retired grocery store manager and fast-pitch softball player, died of complications from cancer Saturday at his Inwood, W.Va., home. He was 84 and had lived in Joppa. Born in Rosedale, he attended Kenwood High School. He worked at A&P grocery stores for 27 years, including one on Sinclair Lane, where he was manager. He later became head of maintenance for Maryland General Hospital. He also owned a business, E&M Home Improvement. In 1984, he was inducted into the Maryland Fastpitch Hall of Fame.

Chris Szocik set the tone for his team — play hard to the end — and that resulted in Liberty's winning its first state championship with a 3-2 victory over McDonough in the Class 2A title game. Rebecca Oneto tied the game in the ninth with a single up the middle. Sammy Bost then stole both third and home after the third baseman missed the tag for a walk-off victory. "Our goal was to win the county title, but we knew we had a shot to go farther and we understood that anything can happen on a given day," Szocik said.

Maude McCourry Lansdowne, senior, pitcher Four-year varsity player had two no-hitters, including a perfect game, and 10 shutouts Opponents batted just .200 against her All-County selection batted .460 with seven home runs and 32 RBIs Mackenzie Thompson Liberty, senior, pitcher Led the Lions to the Class 2A state championship, the first in program history. Allowed two runs on two hits, with 11 strikeouts and three walks over seven innings in the title game.

Expectations were high for Robi Zimmerman entering the season — and she met all of them. The senior pitcher finished 8-2 with an 1.60 ERA, leading the Gators to the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference championship. Zimmerman pitched 70 innings, allowing 43 hits while striking out 49. She also had a no-hitter and only gave up one run in the two conference playoff games, including the championship game against Archbishop Spalding. At the plate, she batted .491, with 11 doubles, one triple, three home runs, and 27 RBIs.