Over the last week members of the District 9 softball team from Bellevue and Mercer Island played some of the best softball teams in the world at the Junior Softball World Series.

As the host team for the tournament held at Everest Park in Kirkland, the team had the chance to play other girls as far away as Italy and Tampa, Fla. Bellevue/Mercer Island finished the tournament with a 9-1 loss to the Italian team from Friuli V G, Italy last Friday.

The hosts, representing Washington District 9 finished the tournament with a 2-3 record, after playing their last game against the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) representative Friuli Venezia Giulia Little League of Italy on Friday afternoon.

The Bellevue/Mercer Island residents started off their tournament with a 16-1 loss to Latin America last Sunday.

Monday, however, the local team rallied back for a 23-1 win over the Canadian team from Windsor, Ontario. Tuesday, it was another loss, this time against the Southeast team from West Tampa, Fla. and on Wednesday, the pendulum swung back to the win column for District 9 after they defeated the Southwest reps from the Midway Little League out of Waco, Texas 13-4. In their final game of the tournament on Friday the local team lost to the Italian visitors.

The Latin American team from Puerto Rico won their second straight title on Saturday afternoon, beating West Tampa Little League 4-3.

The game came down to a call by Little League headquarters in Williamsport, Pa. after West Tampa protested that a player for Puerto Rico had not batted, which is against Little League rules. Williamsport concluded the game result would stand, giving the Latin Americans their third win in four years.

The West Point Little League team from Greensburg, Pa. finished third overall with a 13-5 win over Gilroy Little League from Gilroy, Calif.