By Mark Chreene, KASO/KBEF owner/general manager
The Minden 15U All-Stars capped an impressive run at the 2026 Diamond Youth Softball World Series by finishing as tournament runner-up after battling through the loser’s bracket to reach the championship game in Laurel, Mississippi.
After suffering a 6-4 loss to Tri-Cities, Texas, in the winners bracket Friday, Minden responded with three consecutive victories Saturday to earn another shot at the Texas champions before advancing to Sunday’s title game against Headland, Alabama.
Minden opened Saturday by overpowering Pleasant View, Tennessee, 14-0 in Game 10. The Louisiana champions pounded out 17 hits while Ella Wood and Lola Huddleston combined on a one-hit shutout. Kenzie Pamintuan led the offense with a 4-for-4 performance, while Wood went 3-for-4 and Eastyn Pate and Huddleston each drove in three runs.
Minden kept its championship hopes alive with a 9-4 victory over Perry Junior League, Georgia, in Game 12. Pamintuan finished 3-for-3 with two runs scored, McKinley James doubled, tripled and drove in three runs, and Lola Huddleston pitched a complete game, striking out seven.
Saturday concluded with a rematch against Tri-Cities, Texas, in the loser’s bracket final. Minden avenged its earlier tournament loss by defeating the Texas champions 12-8 to advance to the World Series championship game. Huddleston drove in three runs, Pamintuan added two RBIs, and Ella Wood earned the complete-game victory as Minden overcame seven defensive errors to secure its third win of the day.
Headland, Alabama, claimed the World Series championship Sunday with a 10-2 victory over Minden. Ella Wood collected two hits in the title game, while Lola Huddleston drove in both of Minden’s runs. The runner-up finish capped an outstanding tournament for the Louisiana state champions, who won three elimination games in one day to reach the championship.
For the tournament, Minden posted a 5-2 record, scoring 52 runs while collecting 58 hits. The offense was led by Kenzie Pamintuan, who batted .609 (14-for-23) with 11 RBIs and 11 runs scored. Ella Wood hit .500 (11-for-22) with nine RBIs, while Lola Huddleston finished at .455 (10-for-22) with a team-best 14 RBIs. Emmaline Harmon added a .500 average (10-for-20), and McKinley James batted .421 with nine RBIs.
In the circle, Huddleston finished 3-1 with 20 strikeouts in 22 innings pitched, while Wood went 2-1 with 18 strikeouts in 18⅔ innings.