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Copper Hills wins Majors Softball championship; Continental Ranch wins 10U championship

By Andy Morales

Posted on July 14, 2026

Copper Hills became the 27^th Softball Little League team from Southern Arizona to win a state championship after the team from Sahuarita went 4-0 at the tournament held in Mesa this past week. Copper Hills beat Tanque Verde 10-0, Maricopa 10-0, Tolleson West End 4-1 and Tolleson again 7-2 in the championship final Tuesday night.

Copper Hills will represent Arizona at the West Region to be played in San Bernardino, Calif., starting Saturday. Arizona will play Nevada Saturday at 9 a.m.

Aubrey Wesner went 3 for 3 with two runs and an RBI and Alexis Ortega hit a two-run inside-the-park home run in the win over West End in Tuesday’s championship game. Ortega finished with a team-high three RBIs. Blake Moreno went 2 for 3 with a triple and RBI.

Wesner was also the winning pitcher, allowing four hits and two runs in six innings with seven strikeouts and four walks.

Continental Ranch won the 8-10 State Softball championship by going 4-1 this past week in Avondale. There is no region tournament for this age level. (Continental Ranch Photo)

Continental Ranch tallied 23 hits with 11 players recording at least a hit with four of them tallying three hits in the 22-4 five-inning victory over Avondale for the championship.

Scarlett “Snowy” Alexander, Taya Valdez, Aryanna Medina and Vanessa Elliott each produced three hits for Continental Ranch.

Medina and Charly Dietz Valdez each finished with three RBIs, while Valdez, Alexander, Elliott and Harper Lattimore each had two.

Valdez, Elliott and Talina Corrales had doubles and Medina and Alexander hit triples.

Sofia Armenta pitched a complete game (five innings) for the victory. She had eight strikeouts.

LITTLE LEAGUE STATE TOURNAMENTS

TUESDAY, JULY 14

B 8-10: PHOENIX
Ahwatukee 7, Canyon View 6 (ELIMINATION)

S 8-10: AVONDALE
Continental Ranch 22, Avondale 4 (CHAMPIONSHIP)

B 9-11: TEMPE
Gilbert 3, Sonoita 2 (ELIMINATION)
Chandler 15, Tanque Verde 6 (ELIMINATION)

S 9-11: COTTONWOOD
Casa Grande 6, Thornydale 3 (ELIMINATION)

B LL: ORA MAE
Sidewinder 4, Continental Ranch 1 (ELIMINATION)

S LL: MESA
Copper Hills 7, West End 2 (CHAMPIONSHIP)

S JUNIORS: MISSION MANOR
Four Peaks 12, Marana 2

B SENIORS: BUCKEYE
Buckeye 5, Nogales 2 (CHAMPIONSHIP)

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15

B JUNIORS: MESA
Western vs. Kingman, 5:30 p.m. (ELIMINATION)
Randolph/San Xavier vs. Douglas, 6:30 p.m.

S JUNIORS: MISSION MANOR
Marana vs. Buckeye, 5 p.m. (ELIMINATION)

SOUTHERN ARIZONA LITTLE LEAGUE STATE CHAMPIONS/REGION TEAMS

LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL (30)
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 (27)
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 (Semifinals)
2026: Copper Hills (TBD)