Hernando Mauls Mulberry, 32-0

BELLEVIEW - No matter what adjective a person wants to select, if it's overwhelmed, overpowered, crushed, destroyed or anything else, the easy way to put it was that the Hernando Dixie League All-Star Debs are a very good team.

They demonstrated that Friday afternoon in the opening round of the Dixie League All-Stars Debs (ages 16-18) State Softball Tournament as they shutout and dominated Mulberry 32-0 in a game stopped after 4 1/2 innings due to the 10-run mercy rule.

The Hernando club, which won this State Tournament last year and finished second at the Debs World Series, was simply too much for the Polk County squad.

"They overwhelmed us in just about every facet of the game," said Mulberry coach Jay Smith. The best example of disparity between the two teams is that no one on the Mulberry team has yet to play varsity high school softball while four players on the Hernando team have already signed college scholarships to play softball.

"Mulberry's been around Dixie League for 20, 30 years, but this year we had to combine the Belles and Debs team because we didn't have enough players to make two separate teams," Smith said.

On the Fourth, Hernando easily won its first game in the four-team, double-elimination format as it scored six runs in the first inning, 14 in the second, one in the third and 11 in the fourth inning.

It also had three pitchers, Meredith Hanshaw, Stephanie Sinwelski and Elizabeth Letts, combine to throw a no-hitter.

Brittany Parker led the Hernando team Friday by driving in four runs while Destinee Mormando, Shay Sanders, Elizabeth Letts and Alexandra Hayden all drove in three runs.

Jessica Kreider, Parker and Mormando also hit home runs in the game for Hernando.

Hernando Manager Paul Sinwelski seemed to know that he has a really good team this year.

"We have nine girls returning from the team that last year won the State Tournament and finished second at the Worlds," said Sinwelski. "We have a great pitching staff, solid fielding and great hitting."