Little League softball: Rowan advances to regional championship game

Published 1:30 am Monday, July 29, 2019

 Staff report

WARNER ROBINS. Ga. — Kynlee Dextraze delivered a walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh inning on Sunday afternoon, as Rowan Little League’s 12U softball all-stars advanced to the Southeast Regional championship game.

Rowan won 5-4 against Tennessee’s Daniel Boone Little League, the program that edged Rowan 4-3 in the 2018 regional championship game. Daniel Boone Little League went on to finish fifth in the World Series.

The programs staged another tense, see-saw struggle, with Rowan leading 2-0, trailing 4-2, and finally winning in extra innings after Tennessee, down to its final out, had tied the game in the sixth.

Tennessee scored twice in the first inning against Rowan starting pitcher Campbell Schaen, the first runs allowed by Schaen in the regional.

Rowan (9-0) tied the game in the fourth. Lauren Vanderpool was hit by a pitch, stole second and third, and scored on Schaen’s groundout.

Rowan took a 4-2 lead in the fifth. Dextraze singled and scored on Vanderpool’s triple. Schaen singled to plate Vanderpool.

Kayleigh Musser’s two-run triple tied the game for Tennessee in the sixth, but she was stranded at third.

Rowan couldn’t score in the bottom of the sixth, but relief pitcher Carmen Freeze kept Tennessee scoreless in the top of the seventh.

Kennedi Fisher opened the Rowan seventh with a single. Arabelle Shulenberger’s sacrifice bunt moved her to second and she took third on Ashley Yang’s groundout.

Then Dextraze came through with her game-winning hit to left field.

In the other games on Sunday, West Virginia surged through the loser’s bracket by eliminating Florida 2-1 and then knocking out Tennessee 10-3.

Rowan will play West Virginia (Barboursville Little League) on Monday at 10 a.m., with the winner advancing to the Little League World Series in Portland, Ore.

Rowan won the 2015 World Series and was runner-up to Texas teams in 2016 and 2017.

Rowan team members are Emma Rae Cline, Dextraze, Andie Evans, Freeze, Fisher, Riley Haggas, Avrelle Harrell, Lane, Lexie Ritchie, Sechler, Schaen, Shulenburger, Vanderpool and Yang.

The manager is Steve Yang. Assistant coaches are Chris Evans and Josh Schaen.

Tennessee  200  002  0   — 4   3   1

Rowan LL   000  220  1   — 5    8   1

W — Freeze. L — Katie Sparks.

Leading hitters — Rowan: Lane 2-for-2, RBI; Dextraze 2-for-2, RBI; Vanderpool 1-for-2, RBI, 2 runs; Schaen 1-for-3, 2 RBIs.

 

SE Regional (12U)

Warner Robins, Ga. (July 25-29)

Teams

Rowan Little League

Windermere, Fla.

Martinez, Ga.

Florence, S.C.

Gray, Tenn.

McLean, Va.

Barboursville, W. Va.

Thursday’s games

Tennessee 18, South Carolina 0

Rowan Little League 1, Virginia 0

Florida 1, Georgia 0

Friday’s games

Tennessee 3, West Virginia 2

Rowan Little League 1, Florida 0

Virginia 11, Georgia 7, Georgia eliminated

Saturday’s games

Florida 6, South Carolina 5, SC eliminated

West Virginia 4, Virginia 1, Virginia eliminated

Sunday’s games

Rowan Little League 5, Tennessee 4

West Virginia 2, Florida 1, Florida eliminated

West Virginia 10, Tennessee 3, Tennessee eliminated

Monday’s games

Rowan Little League vs. West Virginia, 10 a.m.

Regional winner advances to World Series Aug. 7-14,  Portland, Ore.