Chester County was well represented at the Dixie Softball World Series this week in Ruston, Louisiana. Three local teams took to the tournament fields for the Chester County blue and Tennessee orange: the Darlings, Belles and SweeTees.
The Chester County SweeTees (5/6 year olds) began their bid for the 2025 Dixie Golden Anniversary World Series with a 22-11 win against Virginia Saturday morning, July 26. As they progressed through the tournament, each game saw them landing in the winner’s circle, with victories against Louisiana (13-12) Sunday and Alabama (22-19) and Ruston (24-13) Monday. Tuesday morning they faced Louisiana again, and fought their way to a 25-23 victory in double overtime, having won each of their series’ games and claiming the tournament win.
The win comes as a combination of the girls’ skill and determination and the support of their families and community, said coach Megan Frye. “It was such a great experience seeing all the hard work of the kids pay off, and seeing their faces as they accepted their trophies was something I’ll always cherish.”
Reflecting on Tuesday’s celebration, Frye expressed gratitude at having the opportunity to share this adventure with her team. “Twenty-two years ago in a hot Texas July after fighting hard and winning the Dixie Softball World Series myself,” Frye explained, “I never thought I’d be coaching a group of girls that did just the same in Louisiana. Like my Chester County teammates in Texas, these girls had the grit and determination to battle the best softball teams in the southeast. I was so blessed to have the sweetest and most talented little girls and the best parents to support them. We also could’ve never done it without all the help of the sponsors from our community. It’s great seeing Chester County all working as a family and supporting not just our team, but two other World Series and two State Tournament teams. I also couldn’t have done it without the help of three great coaches that treated each player as if they were their own daughter.
DARLINGS
The 2025 Dixie Softball season closed out for the Chester County Darlings, age 7/8 team, Sunday with a 6-5 loss to North Carolina. They began tournament play on Saturday, July 26, with a loss to Ruston, 7-6.
BELLES
The Chester County Belles (13/15) took a 13/3 win in their opener for the World Series Saturday against Ruston. They claimed an 8/3 victory Sunday morning against North Carolina then lost to Florida 6/2 Sunday evening, ending their season.
