Mentone Starz pitcher Tracy Smith works against Pioneer in the first round game of the 12U State Softball tournament at Rochester Saturday afternoon. (Photos by Mike Deak)

The 8U Mentone baseball team sit in fantastic position after Saturday’s round of games at the Town & Country Minor State Finals, held in Rochester.

Kayleena Agnew takes a cut for the Mentone Starz.

The Mudhens are currently 2-0 in the tournament after winning 18-5 against Oak Hill Saturday afternoon. The boys from Mentone clubbed 21 hits and were led by three hits apiece from Brock Derf and Nash Miller, the two combining to add six runs scored and a pair of RBIs. Cole Montelongo crushed a three-run double and drove in four total runs.

Mentone will play again against Russiaville, which is also 2-0 in the double elimination tournament after it beat Sheridan, 11-4.

In other games at Rochester, Plymouth and Rochester each picked up a win in loser’s bracket play, then Oak Hill knocked out Plymouth and Rochester knocked out Sheridan in the evening games. Rochester and Oak Hill play at 3 p.m. today to face the Mentone-Russiaville loser for a chance to get back into the championship bracket.

Mentone’s 10U baseball team are still alive after splitting its two games Saturday at Monticello. Flora defeated the Mudhens, 3-0, sending the Mentone team to the get-back bracket. There, Mentone knocked out Oak Hill to stay alive, setting up a matchup today with Williamsport, a 1 p.m. start.

Mentone’s 8U baseball team are 2-0 in its tournament at Rochester. (Photo provided by Michelle Goble)

Elsewhere in Monticello, Plymouth and Flora are both 2-0 and will meet today at 1 p.m., Plymouth a winner over Williamsport. Oak Hill and North Miami both earned wins in the get-back games, with Williamsport knocking out North Miami.

At Pierceton, New Paris is sitting pretty after picking up its second run-rule victory in the 12U tournament. The Kings smacked Alexandria, 10-0, to run to 2-0 in the bracket and will take on Flora, which defeated Plymouth, 10-4, to also move to 2-0. New Paris and Flora will meet at 1 p.m. today.

Plymouth is still alive after beating Lewis Cass, 17-1, as is Ole Miss, which clubbed Alexandria, 12-7. Ole Miss and Lewis Cass knocked out Delphi and North Miami earlier in the day. Plymouth plays at 3 p.m., the winner getting the New Paris-Flora loser at 5:30 p.m.

Mentone’s Starz didn’t have a good start to its 12U softball state tournament, losing to Pioneer in its first-round matchup at Rochester. Pioneer sent 12 batters to the plate in the first inning, scoring six runs, and plated seven more in the second inning to overwhelm the Starz.

Scores from the Rochester softball tournament were not made immediately available. The Rochester softball tournament is scheduled to complete today, each of the three baseball tournaments will finish Monday night.

Mentone Starz slugger Hannah Engstrand looks to connect with a pitch against Pioneer.