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You know what’s better than seeing two rival teams hash it out? Seeing those two teams join forces. Softball players from T.R. Miller and W.S. Neal combined to take home the USSA Gulf Coast Tournament trophy on Sunday. The East Brewton 18U All Stars team is composed of girls from both sides of Murder Creek to make a team of the Brewton areas best softball players.

Their Coach Doug Sims said at the team’s first practice, they make sure that the age-old rivalry strikes out.

“If you go to school together, you don’t throw together,” Sims said. “Find somebody else. We start that day one, and they pick up on it.”

The girls began the tournament with a rough start. On Saturday, East Brewton lost against West Mobile 2-4 in the pool game.

“We fell into the loser bracket, and it’s tough to come out of that,” Sims said.

Mid-day on Saturday, East Brewton started getting their groove back when they beat Fairhope 4-0 during the bracket play. That same evening, East Brewton got a taste of redemption when they faced off against West Mobile for the second time. Sims said it was a close game, but it’s still a W for East Brewton with a score of 4-2.

On Sunday morning, East Brewton sent Central Baldwin home packing with a score of 5-2. Sunday evening’s game was against, you guessed it, West Mobile. Except this time, East Brewton showed them that their first game on Saturday was nothing other than a fluke. East Brewton finished the championship undefeated in the bracket play with the final game’s score at 5-2.

“I’m just proud of my girls,” Sims said. “I’m proud of them for going out there and busting their butt. That’s what matters to me– putting in effort and playing with a good attitude.”

At the end of the tournament each year, the umpires pick the best player out of the whole tournament and that MVP was none other than East Brewton’s very own pitcher Jailyn Bondurant.

The East Brewton team is now on their way to the World Series in Gulf Shores July 9-13.