Thornydale exploded for 14 runs in the “if game” of the Arizona Little League Softball state championship to advance to the West Region Tournament to be held in San Bernardino starting Saturday, July 19 where the team from Arthur Pack will take on Hawaii in the first game.
Thornydale (7-1) beat Marana in two games to win the District 5 championship to qualify for the State Tournament held in Cottonwood. Thornydale beat Arcadia 10-0, Winslow 18-1 and Verde Valley 15-0 before sending Goodyear to the Elimination Bracket with a 4-2 win on Thursday. Goodyear knocked off Sunnyside on Friday to set up the championship round with Thornydale Saturday night, needing to win two games to advance under the double-elimination rule of the tournament.
Goodyear (3-2) beat Thornydale 4-1 in the first game of the night thanks mostly to 10 strikeouts to help keep Thornydale off the bases. Aubrey Neighbors picked up the RBI in the loss. In the second game, in looked like it would be a close one with Neighbors coming through with an RBI in the first inning to give Thornydale a 1-0 lead that held up until the team scored eight in the fourth inning to make it 9-0 and then five more in the fifth for the 14-0 victory margin.
Kenzie Scott connected on a 2-RBI triple while picking up the victory from the circle with five strikeouts and only two hits given up. Neighbors went 2-2 with the RBI and Lilly Steffl had two RBIs to help lead the team.
Thornydale is now the 26th team from Southern Arizona to win a Little League State Softball championship dating back to 1975. Willcox became the fifth team to make it to the World Series last summer.
SOUTHERN ARIZONA LITTLE LEAGUE STATE CHAMPIONS/REGION TEAMS
LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL
1954: Douglas (Quarterfinals)
1957: Bisbee (Quarterfinals)
1959: Tucson American (Semifinals)
1960: Cactus (Quarterfinals)
1963: Saguaro (Runner-up)
1971: Pantano (4th place)
1973: CACTUS (WORLD SERIES)
1974: Cactus (Semifinals)
1975: Douglas (Quarterfinals)
1978: Nogales (Quarterfinals)
1979: Sunnyside (Semifinals)
1980: Nogales (Opening Round)
1981: Western (Semifinals)
1983: American (Semifinals)
1984: Sunnyside (Runner-up)
1985: Nogales (Quarterfinals)
1986: INTERNATIONAL (WORLD SERIES)
1987: Nogales (Opening Round)
1988: Nogales (Opening Round)
1991: Sunnyside (Semifinals)
1992: Western (Quarterfinals)
1996: Santa Rita (Quarterfinals)
1997: American (Quarterfinals)
2000: Canyon del Oro (Semifinals)
2001: San Xavier (Semifinals)
2011: Rio Rico (Quarterfinals)
2012: Rincon (Semifinals)
2018: Sunnyside (Quarterfinals)
2019: Sunnyside (Runner-up)
2023: Canyon View (Semifinals)
LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL
1975: Amphi
1976: Randolph
1980: Sunnyside
1981: Santa Rita
1982: Santa Rita (Runner-up)
1985: Tucson (Quarterfinals)
1986: SANTA RITA (WORLD SERIES)
1987: TUCSON MOUNTAIN (WORLD SERIES)
1991: Sunnyside (Quarterfinals)
1992: San Xavier (Semifinals)
1994: Western (Semifinals)
1996: Thornydale (Quarterfinals)
1997: Thornydale (Quarterfinals)
1998: Sunnyside (Semifinals)
1999: CDO (Quarterfinals)
2002: SAN XAVIER (WORLD SERIES)
2003: San Xavier (Semifinals)
2004: Tanque Verde (Quarterfinals)
2007: Sunnyside (Quarterfinals)
2011: Sunnyside (Quarterfinals)
2012: Sunnyside (Runner-up)
2013: SUNNYSIDE (WORLD SERIES CHAMPION)
2015: Sunnyside (Quarterfinals)
2023: Willcox (Semifinals)
2024: WILLCOX (WORLD SERIES)
2025: Thornydale (TBD)
ARIZONA STATE TOURNAMENTS
SATURDAY, JULY 12
BB JUNIORS IN PAYSON: D-1
Sunnyside 8, Litchfield Park 4
Flowing Wells 4, Cactus Foothills 3 (Elimination)
BB INTERMEDIATE IN NOGALES: D-8
Copper Hills 22, Buckeye 18 (Elimination)
BB LITTLE LEAGUE IN MARICOPA: D-4
Arrowhead 3, Marana 2
Rincon 2, Queen Creek 0
BB 9-11 IN FLAGSTAFF: D-1
High Desert 12, Continental Ranch 2 (Elimination)
Goodyear 10, Copper Hills 6 (Elimination)
BB 8-10 IN SIERRA VISTA: D-8
Rincon 8, East Mesa 7
Cactus Foothills 9, Canyon View 3
SB LITTLE LEAGUE IN COTTONWOOD: D-10
Goodyear 4, Thornydale 1
Thornydale 14, Goodyear 0 (Championship)
SB 9-11 IN QUEEN CREEK: D-14
Randolph 22, Queen Creek 16
Thornydale 18, Flagstaff 9
SB 8-10 IN COTTONWOOD: D-10
Willcox 2, Casa Grande 1
Arcadia 16, Marana 8 (Elimination)
SUNDAY, JULY 13
BB INTERMEDIATE IN NOGALES: D-8
Copper Hills vs. High Desert, 9 a.m. and Noon (Championship)
BB LITTLE LEAGUE IN MARICOPA: D-4
Douglas vs. Marana, 8:30 p.m. (Elimination)
MONDAY, JULY 14
BB JUNIORS IN PAYSON: D-1
Flowing Wells vs. Litchfield Park, 6 p.m. (Elimination)
BB 8-10 IN SIERRA VISTA: D-8
Sonoita vs. Arcadia, 5 p.m. (Elimination)
Canyon View vs. Flagstaff, 7 p.m. (Elimination)
SB 9-11 IN QUEEN CREEK: D-14
Thornydale vs. Randolph, 7 p.m.
SB 8-10 IN COTTONWOOD: D-10
Willcox vs. TBD, 8 p.m.
TUESDAY, JULY 15
BB JUNIORS IN PAYSON: D-1
Sunnyside vs. TBD, 5 p.m. (Championship)
BB LITTLE LEAGUE IN MARICOPA: D-4
Rincon vs. Arcadia, 8:30 p.m.
BB 8-10 IN SIERRA VISTA: D-8
Rincon vs. Cactus Foothills, 5 p.m.
BASEBALL REGIONALS
JULY 16: Seniors in Oakland (Douglas vs. Hawaii)
JULY 16: Intermediate in Nogales (Nogales vs. TBD)
SOFTBALL REGIONALS
JULY 18: Junior Softball at Arthur Pack
JULY 19: Little League in San Bernardino (Thornydale vs. Hawaii)
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