The Lunenburg Girls’ Softball (LGS) Debs All-Star team had a 3-2 run in the 2017 State Dixie Softball Debs All-Star Tournament this year.

The squad lost to only one team during this stretch, and that stretch was bookended by encounters with that same team — the Prince Edward-Farmville Youth Association (PEFYA) All-Stars, which emerged for the second straight year as the undefeated state champions.

After opening its tournament play with a 9-3 loss to PEFYA on July 14, Lunenburg was eliminated from the tourney when it fell 6-2 to PEFYA on July 18.

“I thought we did a lot better this time,” LGS Debs Manager Tony Matthews said. “Riley Jones pitched a great five innings, and Lydia Wrenn pitched a great two innings. (PEFYA) hit a little bit better than we did, and they just scored more runs than us. But we did win the sportsmanship (award) for the tournament.”

Matthews noted that winning the award means the team had great sportsmanship throughout the tourney, taking everything in stride with no arguing and no fussing with umpires and officials.

It meant a lot to him that his team earned the accolade.

“It’s what I try to always emulate for all of my folks at LGS, and for my team to bring it home in the final tournament of the year just drives a point home that it’s not always important to win the tournament, but it’s always important about what people think of you,” he said.

For its three wins during the tourney, Lunenburg topped the Rustburg All-Stars 8-2 on July 15, defeated the Dinwiddie All-Stars 2-0 on July 16 and edged the Crewe-Burkeville All-Stars 11-9 on July 17.

Matthews noted a couple girls on his team who distinguished themselves on defense.

“Kaylee Williams just had an outstanding defensive tournament,” he said of Lunenburg’s center fielder. “She did really, really well, and Kayla Anthony, defensively, also did very, very well.”

Anthony, who played catcher, was in her last year of eligibility for the Debs.

Also aging out after this year are Brittany Dolan and Carrie Bailey.