ROCK FALLS — The Rochelle Little League 9-10 Boys All-Star Team is heading to the 2017 Illinois Little League State Championship.
After defeating Moline and falling to Tri-Cities in its first two games of District 19 sub-state competition, Rochelle rallied to upend Streator Monday evening by a score of 8-7 to qualify for the state tournament.

The 9-10 All-Stars trailed 6-0 after two innings, but the boys scored their first run when Carson Lewis reached base and Brandyn Metzger doubled in the bottom of the third inning.
Rochelle scored five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to tie the game at 6-6. Grant Gensler walked and scored on a double by Kaiden Morris to ignite the Rochelle offense, and Morris scored on a single by Eli Koonce. Xavier Villalobos walked before Lewis plated Koonce, and both Villalobos and Lewis scored on a double by Metzger.
Brode Metzger singled to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning before Gensler walked to put two runners on base. With runners on second and third and two outs, Lucas Smardo recorded Rochelle’s biggest hit of the postseason, plating both Metzger and Gensler to help Rochelle take a 8-6 lead.
Streator added one run in the top of the sixth, but Rochelle held on for the victory behind Brode Metzger, who pitched the final four and one-third innings while striking out seven Streator batters. Rochelle will begin the state tournament in Salem this weekend.