LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL: Floyds Knobs falls in regional title game

Jul. 30—WHITESTOWN — The Floyds Knobs Major All-Star team's remarkable run came to an end Friday.

Daniel Boone (Mo.) Little League scored one run in the bottom of the fifth inning to complete its comeback and pull out a 4-3 win over Floyds Knobs in the Central Region Tournament final.

Floyds Knobs blasted Boardman (Ohio) Community 13-0 in four innings in the losers' bracket final earlier in the day to earn a spot in the winner-take-all championship game.

After losing its first game of the tourney 3-2 to Central Iowa on Monday, Floyds Knobs won five straight elimination games — three by one run — to advance to the title tilt.

Friday morning, Floyds Knobs erupted for 11 first-inning runs before tacking on two more in the third en route to ending the game early via the mercy rule.

After Aubrey Duckworth retired Ohio in order in the top of the first, Floyds Knobs' offense onslaught in the bottom of the frame began with Lindsay Platt's single.

Floyds Knobs quickly loaded the bases with no outs before Adyson Rohmann singled to center field to score Platt and Duckworth. Natalie Curtis followed with a two-RBI single of her own to make it 4-0.

Later in the frame, Emma Warren's one-out, two-RBI single made it 6-0. Shortly thereafter Warren scored on an error.

Floyds Knobs extended its lead to 9-0 on Emory Hegedus' two-out, two-RBI triple. Rohmann followed with a run-scoring triple of her own to make it 10-0. Rohmann later scored on a wild pitch to complete Floyds Knobs' huge inning.

Floyds Knobs tallied two more runs in the third on Shealee Kerley's two-RBI single.

Rohmann led the way at the plate in the win, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs while touching home three times.

Hegedus, Curtis, Kerley and Warren each had one hit and two RBIs apiece. Hegedus also scored three times while Duckworth touched home twice.

Duckworth also notched the win in the circle. The left-hander allowed one hit over four innings.

Floyds Knobs carried that momentum over into the championship game, tallying three times in the top of the first inning.

With one out, Duckworth singled then moved to second on a passed ball, remained there when Hegedus walked, before scoring on Rohmann's single to left field. Hegedus scored moments later thanks to a Missouri error to make it 2-0.

Shortly thereafter, Kerley doubled to left to score Rohmann and extend the Floyds Knobs advantage to 3-0.

Missouri cut into that deficit with one run, thanks to a Floyds Knobs error, in the bottom of the inning.

It remained 3-1 until the bottom of the fourth.

In that frame, Rylee Ellsworth and Maely Martin led off with back-to-back singles, the second of which moved Ellsworth to third. Martin advanced to second on defensive indifference before Duckworth struck out the next two hitters.

Then, with an 0-1 count, Ealynne Bostick hit a line-drive single to center to score Ellsworth and Martin to tie the game.

In the bottom of the fifth, Grace Kempf reached on an error before Keelee Hagler singled to advance Martin (pinch-running for Kempf) to second. Martin scored the game-winning run moments later on a Floyds Knobs error.

Floyds Knobs tried to rally in the top of the sixth.

Duckworth led off with a single before advancing to second on Curtis' two-out single to left. The game ended a short time later, however, on a pop out.

Duckworth led the way at the plate for Floyds Knobs, which outhit Missouri 11-6. She went 4-for-4 while scoring a run.

Additionally, Kerley went 3-for-4 with an RBI while Rohmann was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

Duckworth absorbed the loss in the circle. She allowed four runs (only two of which were earned) on six hits while walking two and fanning five over five frames.

Duckworth was one of Floyds Knobs' standouts in the tourney.

At the plate, she batted .500 (10-for-20) with two doubles and three RBIs while scoring seven runs. In the circle, she went 3-2 with a 1.35 earned-run average. Over 26 2/3 innings, she allowed eight runs (six earned) on 23 hits while walking three and striking out 21.

Other hitting standouts for Floyds Knobs included Kynlee Howell, who batted .444; Rohmann, who hit .429 with a double, two triples and five RBIs while touching home six times; Curtis, who batted .313 with a double, a triple and six RBIs while scoring three runs; and Kerley, who hit .313 with a double and four RBIs.

Meanwhile in the circle, Warren went 2-0 with a .000 ERA. She struck out one over eight perfect innings.

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CENTRAL REGION TOURNAMENT

Friday at the Little League Central Region Complex, Whitestown

Losers' bracket final

FLOYDS KNOBS 13, OHIO 0

Ohio 000 0 — 0 1 3

Floyds Knobs (11)02 X — 13 9 0

W — Aubrey Duckworth. L — Emma Davies. 3B — Adyson Rohmann (FK), Emory Hegedus (FK).

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Championship game

MISSOURI 4, FLOYDS KNOBS 3

Floyds Knobs 300 000 — 3 11 3

Missouri 100 21X — 4 6 2

W — Rylee Ellsworth. L — Duckworth. 2B — Shealee Kerley (FK), Hailey Clark (M).