Twelve teams from Columbus County will head to Burgaw Thursday to open play in the 2006 District 9 Dixie Girls Softball Tournament.

The event will be held on the four softball fields at Pender Memorial Park.

The event will showcase district competition in Darlings (ages 6-8), Angels (9-10), Ponytails (11-12) and Belles (13-15) brackets. Columbus County will have three teams in each division.

Double-elimination tournament play will run through next Monday.

The Columbus County Dixie Deb (ages 16-18) have received an automatic berth in state tournament play.

Bracket champions will advance to the 2006 North Carolina Dixie Girls Tournament, which will run July 14-20 in Lincoln County.

State champions will advance to Dixie Girls World Series play, beginning July 28. World Series play in Ponytail, Belle and Deb World Series play will be held in Alexandria, La. The Angels World Series will be in Sulphur Springs, Texas, and the Darling World Series is scheduled for Dyersburg, Tenn.

Thursday’s District 9 tournament opening round schedule follows:

DARLINGS
3 p.m. – East Columbus vs. South Columbus
5 p.m.. – Burgaw vs. Central Columbus
7 p.m. – Leland vs. Waccamaw

ANGELS
2 p.m. – Leland vs. Shallotte
4 p.m. – Lockwood vs. East Columbus
6 p.m. - Central Columbus vs. Burgaw
South Columbus – bye

PONYTAILS
Noon – East Columbus vs. Leland
2 p.m – Oak Island vs. Burgaw
4 p.m. – Waccamaw vs. Lockwood
6 p.m. – Central Columbus vs. Shallotte
8 p.m. - South Columbus vs. Town Creek

BELLES
3 p.m. - Central Columbus vs. East Columbus
5 p.m. - South Columbus vs. West Brunswick
7 p.m. - North Brunswick vs. Burgaw
South Brunswick-bye