The Mentone Mudhens’ 8U baseball team will play tonight in the Town & Country Junior State championship at Rochester. (Photo provided by Michelle Goble)

Separation Sunday saw a pair of area baseball teams set themselves up for a state title. The Mentone 8U and the New Paris 12U baseball teams will play Monday night for Town & Country State Finals titles and are in great shape still standing undefeated in their respective double elimination tournaments.

The Mentone Mudhens 8U team won its only game Sunday at Rochester, rallying to defeat Russiaville 11-8. Down two runs heading into the final inning, Blaine Sheetz started Mentone off with an inside-the-park home run, sparking the Mudhens to score five runs in the inning. Russiaville was unable to respond, sending Mentone to the final.

Dallas Miller had a key two-run hit in the sixth and Reed Jones tallied four RBIs in the game for Mentone.

A deflated Russiaville team, still alive in the get-back bracket, then lost to Oak Hill setting up tonight’s final between Mentone and Oak Hill. The 6 p.m. game will see a rematch from the second round, which Mentone crushed Oak Hill, 18-5. Oak Hill reached the semis by knocking out host Rochester.

Kylie Byrd and the Pioneer 12U softball team won the Town & Country Softball State title at Rochester. (Photo by Mike Deak)

New Paris’ 12U Kings team has been dominant at Pierceton, holding its opponents to just two runs thus far in its three games played. An 8-1 Sunday by New Paris over Flora had Cory Lantz go 3-for-4 with a homer and three runs scored. Caleb Wright added a single and two runs.

Flora, suffering its first defeat, was able to rally with a 7-6 win against Plymouth in the semi-final. Both of Plymouth’s losses in the tournament came at the hands of Flora.

The championship game in Pierceton will begin at 6 p.m., with New Paris needing just one more win against Flora to claim the title.

Mentone’s 10U run at the Monticello Junior State tournament came to an end in the final four in a loss to Williamsport. Mentone won two games in the tournament, but could not pick up a win Sunday to continue on.

Plymouth and Flora will square off Monday at 5:30 p.m. in the final, Plymouth holding the edge still sitting undefeated. Flora’s loss came to Plymouth in the other Sunday contest.

The 12U Town & Country Softball State concluded Sunday at Rochester. Pioneer stood tall as champions, defeating Winamac in the final to finish at 4-0. Pioneer opened its tournament with a resounding win against Mentone, then defeated Winamac, New Paris and finished off Winamac for the trophy.

Mentone went 0-3 in the tournament, losing to Pioneer, North Miami and Lewis Cass to place eighth in the state competition.

The Mentone 10U baseball team finished fourth in its state tournament this past weekend. (Photo provided)