More than 500 girls from 43 different softball teams duked it out in the Ole Brook Bash this weekend on the fields at Hansel King sports complex, Brookhaven High School and Brookhaven Academy.

Players, coaches, parents, siblings and other supporters from Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi made the trek to Brookhaven for three days of softball chants, homeruns and fast pitch action, but the fields were not the only areas crowded in the city. Local restaurants and hotels reaped the rewards from the 1,000 or more incoming travelers.

Kay Burton, marketing director for the Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce, said that tournaments are very beneficial for the city and they have a positive impact on the entire community.

“The chamber of commerce supports all opportunities that allow our business community to prosper,” said Garrick Combs, Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce executive director.

He added that the chamber entices tournaments like these to town to the extent it can because the chamber feels the more time families spend in Brookhaven, the more the city can prosper.

Local hotels reported increased business from the influx of out-of-town teams. Rooms were booked at the Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn Express for the weekend. Between guests from family reunions and the softball games, both hotels were packed.

Local restaurants also offered refuge to players and supporters from the heat and humidity. After and between games, families popped in for a bite. Fox’s Pizza and Broma’s Deli were two of the popular softball hotspots.

“We can definitely feel it,” said Ken Dixon at Broma’s. “We gear ourselves up for it.”

Dixon said there is a noticeable increase in business when tournaments are in town. Players and families fill the restaurant when games are over, to grab a quick meal.

Mark Crosby, general manager of Fox’s Pizza, said he can see the positive impact made by tournaments like these at the restaurant.

Even Brookhaven schools benefited from the games. Proceeds from the concessions and admissions sales by Brookhaven High School and Brookhaven Academy filter back in to their local programs.

The softball season has just begun for Brookhaven. The next tournament will be played on the Fourth of July. More than 30 teams will be back in the Homeseekers Paradise to give another boost to the local economy.