LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL: Floyds Knobs wins again 2-1

Josh Cook, The Evening News and the Tribune, Jeffersonville, Ind.
·2 min read

Jul. 28—WHITESTOWN — The Floyds Knobs Major All-Stars staved off elimination yet again Wednesday.

Aubrey Duckworth tossed a complete-game, four-hitter — and also had an RBI-double — to lead Floyds Knobs to a 2-1 win over Claire (Michigan) Little League in an elimination game of the Central Region Tournament at the Little League Central Region Complex at Whitestown.

Floyds Knobs will face Illinois at 1 p.m. this afternoon in a loser-goes-home game. If it wins that one, Floyds Knobs would play another elimination game against the winner between Kentucky and Iowa at 7 p.m. tonight.

The championship game of the nine-team, modified double-elimination tourney is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday afternoon.

Floyds Knobs, which was coming off a 2-1 win over the Nebraska state champion Tuesday, scored single runs in the second and third innings against Michigan, which plated its lone run in the fourth.

With one out in the bottom of the second, Natalie Curtis doubled to center field. She stole third, then scored on Shealee Kerley's groundout to give Floyds Knobs an early 1-0 lead.

In the bottom of the third, Kynlee Howell reached first on a one-out bunt single, then took second on a throwing error by the Michigan catcher. Howell moved to third on Lindsay Platt's groundout, then scored on Duckworth's double to left field to put Floyds Knobs up 2-0.

Michigan cut its deficit in half in the fourth.

Pamela Allen led off with a single, then advanced to third when Lena Renner followed with a single of her own. Allen scored moments later on Maddison Fritz's groundout.

A short time later, a Floyds Knobs' double play squelched the Michigan rally.

With Renner on third, Sophia Buzzelli grounded back to Duckworth. The pitcher then threw home to Curtis, who tagged out Renner. The catcher then threw to shortstop Emory Hegedus, who tagged out Buzzelli before she could reach second to complete the double play.

That was all Duckworth would need. She allowed a two-out single in the fifth, but that was it over the final two frames.

Duckworth allowed one earned run on four hits while walking none and fanning five in the complete-game victory.

Her counterpart, Frtiz, allowed two earned runs on six hits while striking out two over five frames.

Platt, Duckworth, Curtis, Howell, Adyson Rohmann and Alaina Payne all had hits for Floyds Knobs.

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CENTRAL REGION TOURNAMENT

Wednesday's elimination game

At the Little League Central Region Complex, Whitestown

FLOYDS KNOBS 2, MICHIGAN 1

Michigan 000 100 — 1 4 1

Floyds Knobs 011 000 — 2 6 0

W — Aubrey Duckworth. L — Maddison Fritz. 2B — Duckworth (FK), Natalie Curtis (FK).