Sports Force Parks on the Mississippi is leasing the city of Vicksburg’s ball fields at Halls Ferry Park and Bazinsky Park to provide additional space for a softball tournament bringing 110 girls’ softball teams to the city on June 10-12.

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved an agreement to lease the city fields and the tennis lounge and locker room at Halls Ferry to Sports Force for the three-day tournament for $10,800. Sports Force is co-sponsoring the event, called “Stars Over Mississippi Showcase,” with DC Elite Productions.

“We ran two partnered events with them last year in June and November and we wanted to grow it; our biggest issue is the fact that we don’t have enough fields for events of that size at Sports Force,” said Will Spence, Sports Force vice president. He said the tournament is already sold out.

He said Sports Force approached the city during the winter about using the Halls Ferry and Bazinsky fields once company officials saw the tournament exceeded 65 teams.

Under the agreement terms, the city will maintain the fields and common areas, including removing trash and ensuring that the facilities are clean and stocked with supplies. Sports Force will make sure that the facilities are not damaged.

“We’ll have the parks ready and maintained and we’ll have a couple of guys who will be there, just like any other time,” Parks and Recreation Director Rick Daughtry said, adding Halls Ferry Park’s tennis lounge and lockers will be used by coaches and umpires.