The Prince Edward-Farmville Youth Association (PEFYA) Belles all-star team lost 8-3 to the Amelia All-Stars on Tuesday night to finish as the runner-up of the 2019 Dixie Softball Belles State Tournament in Rustburg.

Larry Conwell, the PEFYA Belles manager, cited fatigue as a factor in the loss.

“We played five nights straight,” he said. “One game ended at 10:30, and Sunday night the game ended at 11:45, and all our games were late, and we didn’t get a bye. All the other teams had a bye. We didn’t get one. I think (we) were just tired.”

As for why his squad did not receive a bye, he said it was just “the way the brackets fell.”

Tuesday’s game was a rematch as PEFYA opened its state run July 12 with a 12-10 victory over Amelia.

Ava Thrasher pitched for Prince Edward-Farmville on Tuesday along with Meredith Schmidt.

On Monday evening, the PEFYA All-Stars eliminated the Prince George all-star team with a 12-10 win.

“They played good, hit the ball,” Conwell said of his players, later noting they outhit Prince George 11-10. “That was a good game.”

Prince Edward-Farmville led 8-2 after one inning and 9-6 after two. The girls were up 12-9 after the sixth and then held off Prince George for the win.

Brianna Overton highlighted PEFYA’s offensive effort with a solo home run.

Thrasher pitched the first two innings, and Schmidt threw the last five.

The PEFYA Belles All-Stars finished the state tourney with a 3-2 record.

“They exceeded all expectations, so I was very happy with them,” Conwell said.

They ended the summer at 6-2 overall after going 3-0 in the District 1 tourney.

This year’s Belles all-star squad was not as veteran-laden as past teams.

“We had a couple young ones, but we had one who’s never played, and it was a lack of a lot of experience, but they played as a team,” Conwell said. “They played with all their hearts.”

Most of the girls on the roster have been playing together for about five or six years, he said, but two or three will have to move up to the Debs age level next year.