Winter Indoor Softball Tournament: Local teams win two of three titles

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Two of the three championship trophies handed out for the inaugural Southern Illinois Indoor Winter Fastpitch Softball Tournament-benefitting Special Olympics of Illinois Southern/Area 15-were handed to local teams late Sunday night.

The Southern Express 16U and 14U teams swept to undefeated records and titles in their respective brackets.

The Hopkins County Heat from Madisonville, Ky. won the three-team 10U championship Saturday night.

Du Quoin High School freshman Cassidy Rice scattered four hits and struck out five in the final game of the Express' 16U title run, a 6-3 win over the Southern Illinois Athletes from Johnston City.

Rice (2-0) also helped herself with two hits and an RBI at the plate.

Express scored three times in the opening frame, two coming on Bailey Wynn's basehit. The third tally scored after an infield miscue by S.I. Athletes.

With the score tied at 3-3 in the sixth, Express won the game on Emily Reed's single and then tacked on two more key insurance tallies on Rice's hit and a fielders choice from Taylor Winn.

Rice retired the side in the seventh to secure the championship with Winn's fully extended, diving catch in centerfield recording the final out.

Reed had three hits and was named the title game MVP.

Downstate Rippers '95 of West Frankfort placed third.

Express posted wins over Heartland Kids (Royalton) and Chicagoland Dirt Devils of Joliet to reach the finals. Joliet finished in third place.

Highway 51Wildfire, with a roster featuring mostly Du Quoin and Elkville area players, finished the 14U tourney at 0-2.

Southern Illinois Explosion-another Du Quoin area based squad-went 1-2.

S.I. Express' 14U team defeated Southern Illinois Phoenix in the finals with the St. Louis Marauders placing third.