By Derek Thompson
The Selma Times-Journal

The Birmingham Thunderbolts softball team spent its day off touring the historical sites in Selma on Monday.

Kendall Veach, the travel softball club’s infielder and former softball star at Morgan Academy, said she was enlightened by new facts surrounding the civil rights movement and the “Bloody Sunday” march on the tour.

Veach signed with Auburn in November 2014 after hitting around .450 for the Senators with 14 home runs last season.

Infielder Libby Sugg, who will play softball for Brigham Young University next season, found the information from the tour interesting because she studied some of the city’s history in her government class.

“It was kind of a recap, but actually being there made it more insightful,” Sugg said. “It’s like I was actually a part of it.”

The Thunderbolts also made a trip to Selma High School to deliver some helpful advice to the Selma All-Star softball team.

“I told them softball takes a lot of hard work and dedication,” said Thunderbolts pitcher Tamara Statman, who signed with Arizona.

“A lot of the time you don’t get to go out with your friends because of the practice it takes. I made a comment that said ‘quality over quantity,’ which means you want to have a bunch of good cuts instead of just a lot of bad ones. With hard work and dedication they can definitely do it.”

Seven more Thunderbolts players signed with Division 1 schools; Giselle Juaruz, – Fresno State; Reagan Dykes,  – Alabama; Elyssa Brown,  – Alabama; Madi Moore, – Alabama; Andrea Kindrick’s, –  Alabama; Bree Fornis, – Auburn; and Morgan Podany, – Auburn.

The team enjoyed mud riding and a fish farm in town Tuesday afternoon.

The Thunderbolts are 15-0 so far this summer after playing seven tournaments at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida and eight games at Shea Brother Softball Complex in Birmingham.

The Birmingham Thunderbolts have defeated every team they have faced by at least five runs this summer.

The team will travel to California Thursday for its next tournament.