From its first game on April 13, BelleEve Boutique was too much to handle in the Lincoln County Athletic Association 8 and under machine pitch softball division.

The Montgomery City team cruised past the competition in the regular season, winning all 12 games. Then, it left Kiwanis Fields at Montgomery County High School on July 8 with a tournament championship.

BelleEve Boutique beat Wright City 22-15 in the tournament finals to finish its season at 14-0. All 11 players on the team were awarded trophies.

The squad defeated another Wright City team 12-2 in the semifinals on July 6 to advance to the championship game.

Annalee Daniels, Loretta Elmore, Lexi Gaines, Adayah and Ava Galloway, Lillian Gillette, Autumn Haas, Willow Hamilton, Annabelle Holman, Seraya Martinka and Adleigh Wilkerson make up the team. Clint Elmore and Travis Holman were the coaches.

BelleEve Boutique defeated its opponents by an average margin of 12 runs a game. The team won by double digits in every contest except the championship game.

“They were playing good ball all year,” Clint Elmore said. “I don’t think we had one game besides (the championship game) where it was close. They just made the plays on the field. The field was probably the best aspect of the whole thing.”

Out of the players on the team, three of them played in the LCAA All-Star Game on June 13. They were Seraya, Annalee and Loretta. Seraya won Most Valuable Player honors in the 8 and under all-star softball contest.

“There was a whole team of all-stars,” Clint Elmore said. “They all could have played on that team. I coached it and we had girls who could hit a lot better and they could field better. But it is what it is. We got to pick only three. I would have picked the whole team.”

The coach was happy that BelleEve Boutique, a shop located on Second Street in Montgomery City, sponsored the team this year.

“(BelleEve Boutique owner Mackenzie Gaines) has been a big help to the whole team,” he said. “She got us medals for going 12-0 in the regular season. She’s pretty awesome. We’re always appreciative of sponsors.”

The win in the finals marked the first time a Montgomery City team won a LCAA championship. Montgomery City entered the league last year.

BelleEve Boutique was the only Montgomery County-area team to win a LCAA title. Two teams from Jonesburg – Sellenriek Construction and Jonesburg – lost in the finals in the 12 and under and 16 and under divisions, respectively.
Jonesburg lost 13-7 to Silex in a winner-take-all 16 and under championship game on July 7 at Jonesburg Elementary School. It trailed 4-0 before it climbed back to get within 7-6 in the bottom of the third inning. That’s as close as it would get the rest of the game.

Trinity Brown, Chloe Conder, Kinzey Ebker, Julia Elder, Aurora Gibson, Abigail Knoepflein, Jaidyn Milligan, Alaina Spurgeon, Carmen Stille and Khloe Thomas make up the Jonesburg team, which tied Silex for first place in the regular season at 9-3.

Trinity and Abigail were members of the Montgomery County High School softball team that placed fourth in the Class 2 state tournament last fall.

“It’s definitely fun hanging out with teammates from high school,” Abigail said. “I think it helps the game move along.”

Jonesburg had four representatives on the all-star team – Aurora, Jaidyn, Carmen and Khloe. Aurora played in the all-star game for the fourth time.
Sellenriek Construction lost 15-2 to Old Monroe in the 12 and under finals on July 8 at Jonesburg. It cruised past All Out of Montgomery City 21-2 in a first-round game on July 6 and received a bye in the semifinals.

Abby Cobb, Blaire Cope, Emma DeGraaf, Ella and Emelia Hans, Tynlee Hayden, Aubrey Oden, Madeline and Samantha Politsch and Isabella Reichmann are the players for Sellenriek, which finished 12-0 in the regular season and ended its season at 13-1 with the loss to Old Monroe in the finals.

Four other county teams also participated in the LCAA playoff tournament. Montgomery City played in the 8 and under machine pitch, 10 and under and 13 and under baseball tournaments and Jonesburg had a team in the 10 and under softball tournament.