A local 12-year-old softball player continues to make a name for herself beyond Humboldt County after securing a breakthrough tournament championship earlier this month.
Lovie Lewis, a seventh-grader at Hoopa Elementary, began the fall travel season in style with her new team, SWAT Turner, which is based out of Vacaville.
The SWAT Turner 12Us made the trip to Stockton to compete at the Premier Girls Fastpitch Back to School Birthday Bash for Cash Tournament, and Lewis played a key role on the way to clinching the tournament championship.
Lewis and her teammates won six of their seven games in tournament play, including a 9-7 win over LTG Sansaver in the championship game.
The young Humboldt County standout pitched in four of her team’s games, including a late appearance in the decider.
Lewis pitched the final inning, getting out of a jam and holding the opposing bats scoreless with three straight outs after allowing the first two batters that she faced to reach base.
Lewis caught a pop up for the final out of the game.
Premier Girls Fastpitch is widely considered one of the most competitive youth travel organizations in the country and features some of the top young talent from around California.
“She’s been chasing that PGF win for a long time,” Lovie’s mother Aninda Lewis said. “It was a big accomplishment for her.”
The Hoopa Elementary multi-sport standout made her presence felt throughout the tournament and made three starts in the circle.
She got the start in a 9-2 win over Warrior Academy in the semifinal, throwing two innings and allowing two runs on two hits while giving up one walk and striking out one.
Lewis also played third base for the team and had some key hits along the way, including a two-hit performance in a 7-0 win over LTG Wallace.
The busy youngster was back in action at the All About That Base Tournament in Tracy this past weekend, helping to lead the SWAT Turner girls to a semifinal appearance.
All that travel involves a lot of expenses, and when she’s not spending her time practicing or playing games Lewis can be seen around Hoopa fundraising for her trips with her local business, Snacky Lews Treats and More, selling lemonade, nachos and snow cones.
“She uses the money she earns to pay for her travel,” Aninda Lewis said, with each tournament costing around $1000 to compete in.
For updates and video highlights from her young career, you can follow her through social media (LL Softball), on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram.
