Mike Mattson | Daily Press Photo Members of the Kingsford Little League Junior all-star softball team pose with their district medals Friday at the opening ceremony for the state tournament at Gladstone. Team members, kneeling, from left: Danika Varda and Allie LaVarnway. Standing: Macy Holmes, Zoie Geronimi, Bree Raymond, Abby Terrian, Delaney Cram, Sidney Tomczak, Talia Wallis and Caitlyn Kelley. Back row: coach Dan Cram, manager Brock Wallis, coach Mike LaVarnway and Little League District 10 Administrator Don Howes.

GLADSTONE — It was a productive opening day in the state softball tournament for the Kingsford Junior Girls’ Little League All-Stars (age 13-14) Friday as they beat Charlevoix 15-3 and romped past Melvindale-Taylor 19-1 in just three innings.

Kingsford scored five times in the opening frame, added two runs in the second and 12 in the third during the nightcap.

“The girls were excited to get here and they were focused,” said Kingsford manager Brock Wallis. “It’s nice that the tournament is here. It’s nice to have sort of a homefield advantage.”

Sidney Tomczak and Talia Wallis combined on a one-hitter against Melvindale on this warm and humid evening at Gladstone High School.

Kingsford took advantage of 15 walks and five errors in this match-up.

Allie LaVarnway opened the contest with a double to leftfield and scored Kingsford’s first run on a wild pitch. Abby Terrian added the second run on a fielder’s choice and Tomczak made it 3-0 on a passed ball.

“Our bats were going,” said manager Wallis. “We pitched, fielded and hit the ball well. We just played good all-around softball today. Defensively, we hit the cufoff and made the plays we had to.”

Tomczak, who pitched the first two innings, struck out two and walked one and reliever Talia Wallis allowed a leadoff bunt single to losing pitcher Brianna Mantra and a walk and hit a batter in the third.

Kingsford sent 11 hitters to the plate in the first and 17 in the third.

The District 10 representative collected seven hits, led by LaVarnway, Terrian and Bree Raymond with two apiece. Terrian also scored four times with LaVarnway and Tomczak adding three runs each.

Manager Wallis was every bit as pleased with the team’s play against Charlevoix in Friday’s opener.

“We made the right plays,” he said. “We just had all-around solid play.”

Kingsford returns to Delta County for four games this weekend, facing defending champion St. Clair today at 10 a.m. and Onaway at 2 p.m. (EDT).

On Sunday, it meets Tri-City at 10 a.m. and Georgetown at 2 p.m.

In other games Friday, St. Clair topped Tri-City 6-3 and blanked Melvindale 14-0. Georgetown beat Onaway 11-3 and rallied past Tri-City 11-10. Charlevoix squeezed past Georgetown 10-9 and Onaway defeated Tri-City 9-6.

Saturday and Sunday’s schedule includes six games each, with six of the seven teams qualifying for Monday’s championship rounds.