A perfect 6-0 record over a three-day period capped off an outstanding season for the Dirt Devil 14s softball program who returned with some major hardware to northeast Nebraska.
"This will definitely be an unforgettable season," said head coach Brian Hanson. "I think the girls will cherish the time spent together as a team, the dozens of core memories produced this season, the friendships created and strengthened and winning the state championship."
From the Smith Complex in Hastings, the Dirt Devils entered with the #11 seed among 25 teams after finishing sixth in their state qualifying district the month prior.
State action began on July 3 where Dirt Devil 14U shutout #22 Milady Coffeehouse 14U (Fremont) 12-0 which then led to a second game that night with the Dirt Devils avenging a district loss by this time winning 5-4 (scored two runs in top half of sixth inning) over #6 Angels 14U (Wahoo).
July 4 showcased one outing where the Dirt Devil 14s picked up a 14-7 win over #3 Prodigy 14U-Morgan (Lincoln) and then began July 5 with a 4-1 victory against #2 Lincoln Eclipse to advance to the semifinal round.
Later in the afternoon, the Dirt Devils dominated #12 Adams Silver 14U by the score of 15-3 and just needed one game to defeat #4 McCook Rebels 14U in the finals, 6-2.
Dirt Devil 14U won their final 15 games and closed out their summer schedule with a 31-9-1 overall record.
"Our team has become a really tight knit group," said Hanson. "They have stepped up for each other all season long. This team has incredible composure. We work on high pressure situations in practice to help them be comfortable in game situations and always remind the girls to stay neutral during the highs and the lows while playing."
Find the complete information in the July 9 edition in The Wayne Herald or subscribe today by clicking here.
