Back in 1887, a man named George Hancock invented softball, an easier, more accessible version of baseball. Originally made for men, in 1933 a tournament was held at Chicago’s World Fair with 55 teams from each U.S. state. As years went on, more and more women have stepped up and played, making the sport more and more popular.

Now, there are travel teams like the Bell City Ringers (BCR) from Hillsboro, Ohio. The Bell City Ringers have three age groups which consist of 12u, 14u, and 18u. The 12u team is 6-3-1, 14u is 5-2-1, and the 18u team is 4-3. Travel teams like these compete at higher levels, and you learn lessons about life, teamwork, and bonding.

The 12u team had a tournament at Rowe Sports Complex in Middletown, Ohio. Called the Bullpen Battle, the tournament consisted of 12 teams from all over Ohio. The 12u team’s first game of the season was against TNT Thunder, in which they tied 6-6. The 12u team’s last game of Saturday was against the Springboro Penguins 11u, who won 0-12.

The next day (tournament day), the 12u was ready, even though they were second to last, but they were ready to play. Their first Sunday game was against Outcast 12u, in which the Bell City Ringers won 11-7. They were on to the next round. Their next game was against the Southwest Outlaws 12u, which the Bell City Ringers won 10-2. They were on to the championship.

The championship game was against the Springboro Penguins, in which they won 0-8. The Bell City Ringers won second place out of 12 teams in their first tournament of 2025.