The Salem 13u All-Star team won the Roanoke Youth Softball Association(RAYSA) tournament last week, with games held at the James I. Moyer Complex in Salem and Darrell Shell Park in South Roanoke County. There were also tournaments for 10u and 17u teams.
The Salem girls ripped through the 13u bracket undefeated, winning all four games. They opened with a win over GSA, then beat North Roanoke and South County, all at the Moyer Complex. That earned them a spot in the championship game at Darrell Shell on Thursday, needing to win just one game from North Roanoke, who came out of the losers’ bracket. Salem didn’t need two, as they beat North Roanoke in the 6 pm game to wrap up the championship.
The Salem 10u team made it to the championship game and finished second. Salem lost to Botetourt in the second round but battled back through the losers’ bracket with wins over Vinton, Glenvar and North Roanoke to reach the final. They needed to beat Botetourt twice and won the first game, but Botetourt came back to win the “if game” and take the championship with Salem finishing as runner-up with a 5-2 record for the week. The Glenvar team finished 2-2.
In the 17u tournament Salem and Botetourt had a combined team. They lost their opener to South County but bounced back with a win over Clifton Forge. They were then knocked out by South County as Franklin County went on to win the tournament.
The Roanoke Area Youth Baseball Association tournaments for 10u and 12u boys were scheduled to open Monday at Green Hill Park but were moved back a day due to inclement weather. Championships are still scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Green Hill. Salem and Glenvar both have all-star teams competing.
