The 2019 Rochelle Little League Major League Baseball City Championship Series teed off at Floyd J. Tilton Park this weekend, with No. 1 seed VFW (14-2) and No. 2 seed Firemen (14-3) splitting the first two games to set up a winner-takes-all Game 3 Monday evening at 6 p.m.
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ROCHELLE — For the third consecutive season, No. 1 seed VFW emerged as the best team in the Rochelle Little League Major League Baseball Division.
VFW won Game 1 by a score of 12-2 to take a 1-0 series lead on Friday before Firemen evened the series after winning Game 2 by a score of 7-1 on Saturday. With everything on the line Monday, VFW (15-2) defeated Firemen (14-4) by a score of 4-1 to claim the title.
Game 1
Brandyn Metzger picked up the win for VFW, throwing four and two-thirds innings and striking out nine batters. Connor Lewis recorded one strikeout in relief for VFW. Brode Metzger, Bane Workman, Dalton Merriman and Ethan Goodwin combined to do the pitching for Firemen, totaling seven strikeouts.
VFW scored two runs in both the first and second innings to take a 4-0 lead over Firemen.
VFW pulled away with five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning before adding three runs in the fifth inning to end the game early by the run rule. Carson Lewis went 2-for-3 with a triple and two runs, while Bobby Tourdot scored four times for VFW. Brandyn Metzger singled twice and scored two runs, with Van Gerber, Grant Gensler and Tyler Gensler each scoring once.
Ethan Goodwin singled twice for Firemen, with Elijah Harley reaching base twice on a single and a walk. Dalton Merriman singled and walked in the game, while Luke Dickey singled once.
Game 2
VFW scored once in the top of the first inning before Firemen plated two runs in the bottom of the frame to go ahead 2-1. Firemen added one run in the third inning before pulling away with four runs in the fifth inning.
Ethan Goodwin struck out six batters over five and one-third innings for Firemen, with Dalton Merriman recording the final two outs. Carson Lewis and Grant Gensler teamed up to strike out seven batters in four and two-thirds innings for VFW.
Brode Metzger went 1-for-2 with two runs and one RBI for Firemen, while Dalton Merriman went 1-for-2 with one run and one RBI. Elijah Harley scored two runs, with Bane Workman and Ethan Goodwin each adding one run. Brandyn Metzger went 1-for-3 with one RBI for VFW, while Bobby Tourdot scored the lone run.
Game 3
VFW took a 2-0 lead with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Tyler Gensler drew a bases-loaded walk for one RBI before Brandyn Metzger scored on a passed ball. VFW added two more runs in the second inning when Kasin Avila scored on a passed ball and Grant Gensler delivered an RBI single.
Firemen got on the board when Ethan Goodwin hit an inside-the-park homer to left field in the top of the third inning to make it a 4-1 game. Both teams went scoreless over the fourth and fifth innings. Brode Metzger and Dalton Merriman each singled for Firemen in the sixth inning, but Gensler recorded two straight strikeouts to seal the VFW win.
