July 14th– 19th, the Marion Recreation Department hosted the 2017 Dixie Youth Softball State Tournament. Opening day brought in a total of 600 spectators. Present at the Tournament were State Director, Phil Parnell, Assistant State Director, Ruthie Osteen, District One Director, Naomi Carmichael and National Director, Ralph Henson. Represented at the tournament were a total of 19 Teams consisting of 285 players and coaches from around the state. The Angels included Marion, Chester, Hartsville, Iva, Latta, Monks Corner, Mullins, and Newberry. The Ponytails were made up of Marion, Abbeville, Bamberg, Colleton, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Hanna Pamlico and Prosperity. Our final 3 teams for the Debs consisted of Dillon, Kershaw and Sumter. Monks Corner came out of the loser’s bracket to defeat an unbeaten Latta and take the title in the Angels. Pamlico also, came from the loser’s bracket to take the title from an unbeaten Abbeville. Dillon won the Debs title defeating Sumter and Kershaw County. The host Marion teams played well but were eliminated early in the tournament. We are thankful for the community support and sponsorships to allow us to host this event.