ROCHELLE — Rochelle Little League’s 10U Softball All-Stars won all three of their games to take home the Illinois Little League District 19 Championship at Floyd J. Tilton Park in Rochelle this week. Rochelle will advance to compete in the Illinois Little League State Championship.

The team includes Annalyce Harris, Brynn Stinnett, Chloe Streit, Gennelle Hernandez, Grace Olson, Isabel Jackson, Izabella King, Kate Keller, Lilyan Erickson, Madelynn McRoberts, Natalie Isley, Rose Elston, Rosie Bugarin and Zoey Harris. The team is coached by James Jackson, Shannon Bybee, Rudy Nambo and Adam Erickson.

Rock Falls 1

Rochelle began its district tournament with a 14-8 win over Rock Falls on Monday evening. Natalie Isley pitched for the 10U All-Stars, throwing five and one-third innings while striking out 14 batters without allowing a hit. Madelynn McRoberts added two-thirds of an inning.

Annalyce Harris and Natalie Isley each recorded base hits for the 10U All-Stars, who scored six runs in the top of the first inning, where Brynn Stinnett and Kate Keller drew bases-loaded walks before Rose Elston and Rosie Bugarin recorded RBIs on hit-by-pitches. Izabella King and Gennelle Hernandez followed with RBIs after reaching on a bases-loaded walk and hit-by-pitch.

Rock Falls tallied one run in the bottom of the first inning, but the 10U All-Stars answered with one run in the top of the second inning, scoring after Annalyce Harris singled and scored on a steal of home. Two walks led to a pair of runs for Rock Falls in the bottom of the second inning. An RBI groundout in the bottom of the third inning sparked a three-run frame for Rock Falls.

Trailing 7-6, Rock Falls evened the score with one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Rochelle responded in the top of the fifth inning, where Natalie Isley ripped an RBI triple into right field before scoring on a steal of home to give the 10U All-Stars a 9-7 lead. A walk and a steal of home in the bottom of the fifth inning brought Rock Falls back within one run.

Rochelle sealed its win with a strong effort in the top of the sixth inning, where the team scored five runs to take a 14-8 lead. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth inning, Natalie Isley struck out three straight Rock Falls hitters to clinch Rochelle’s opening-round victory.

Freeport

Rochelle’s tournament run continued with a 12-10 win against Freeport on Tuesday evening. Natalie Isley pitched five innings for the 10U All-Stars, striking out 12 batters and allowing only three hits. Lilyan Erickson went 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs, while Isabel Jackson went 2-for-2 with three runs scored. Natalie Isley went 2-for-2 with one run and one RBI in the win.

Rochelle took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, where Annalyce Harris scored one run and Isabel Jackson singled before Lilyan Erickson laced a double to left field. Natalie Isley capped off the three-run frame with an RBI single to the shortstop that allowed Lilyan Erickson to score.

After Freeport scored one run in the bottom of the first inning, Annalyce Harris drew a bases-loaded walk for an RBI in the top of the second inning to give Rochelle a 4-1 lead. The 10U All-Stars added another run in the top of the third inning, where Lilyan Erickson belted an RBI double to right field to score Isabel Jackson, who walked earlier in the frame.

Freeport tied the game at 5-5 after tallying two runs in the bottom of the third inning and two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Rochelle answered in the top of the fifth inning, rallying for four runs on three singles including RBI singles from Lilyan Erickson and Brynn Stinnett. 

A grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning enabled Freeport to once again tie the score at 9-9. Rochelle responded, however, scratching three runs in the top of the sixth inning, where Izabella King smacked an RBi triple to center and Kate Keller followed with an RBI groundout. Rosie Bugarin scored on a steal of home after reaching on a hit-by-pitch for the third run. Freeport scored one run in the bottom of the sixth inning, but a strikeout ended the threat. 

Rock Falls 2

Rochelle sealed its district championship with a 15-0 win against Rock Falls on Friday evening. The 10U All-Stars blew the game wide open after scoring 14 runs in the bottom of the first inning. Lilyan Erickson, Brynn Stinnett and Natalie Isley each went 2-for-2 in the game, while Annalyce Harris recorded four RBIs and two runs scored to lead the Rochelle offense. 

Natalie Isley threw all three innings for the 10U All-Stars, striking out five batters without allowing a hit or a run. Rochelle’s 14-run effort in the bottom of the first inning included four consecutive RBI singles from Lilyan Erickson, Brynn Stinnett, Natalie Isley and Izabella King. Gennelle Hernandez gave Rochelle an 8-0 lead with an RBI single to second base, setting the stage for a grand slam from Annalyce Harris that cleared the bases and put Rochelle up 12-0.

Lilyan Erickson’s RBI triple and Brynn Stinnett’s second RBI single of the frame capped off Rochelle’s 14-run outburst. The 10U All-Stars added one run in the bottom of the second inning, where Kate Keller scored on a steal of home after reaching base on a hit-by-pitch.