STERLING — Rochelle Little League’s 12U Baseball All-Stars battled in the Illinois Little League District 19 Championship tournament at Gartner Park in Sterling this week. Rochelle went 2-2 over four games, reaching the final round before ending the tournament in second place.

The team includes Chase Brown, Eli Thompson, Garrett Miller, Gavin Smith, Jackson Olszewski, Jadon Exantus, Jaxson Olsen, Jaxon Quinonez, Kamden Kessen, Reed Dougherty, Roberto Bugarin and Teddy Millard. The team is coached by Robin Olszewski, Mike Thompson and Kenny Dougherty. 

Rock Falls

Rochelle started the tournament with a 5-4 win over Rock Falls on Monday evening. Eli Thompson struck out five batters over two innings pitched, while Roberto Bugarin added five strikeouts over two and one-third innings on the mound. Teddy Millard struck out three batters.

Rock Falls broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth inning, tallying three runs on two singles, one walk and one error. Rochelle rallied for five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, where Teddy Millard singled and Kamden Kessen doubled to spark the Rochelle offense. After Chase Brown drove one run home, Garrett Miller put Rochelle up 3-2 with a two-run double to left field.

Two doubles and one single in the top of the sixth inning brought Rock Falls within one run. With his team clinging to a one-run lead, Teddy Millard struck out three batters to clinch the win. Garrett Miller and Teddy Millard each went 2-for-2 in the game, while Reed Dougherty and Kamden Kessen each added hits. Five different Rochelle players scored runs in the win.

Sterling 1

Rochelle’s district tournament continued with a 9-6 win over Sterling on Tuesday evening. Kamden Kessen threw five and two-thirds innings for the 12U All-Stars, striking out six batters before Jadon Exantus recorded the final out of the game. Eli Thompson went 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBIs, while Chase Brown went 1-for-2 with three RBIs for Rochelle in the win.

Rochelle held a 5-0 lead after the bottom of the first inning, where Eli Thompson laced an RBI single to center field and Chase Brown sent a sacrifice fly into center field for an RBI. Jaxson Olsen and Reed Dougherty capped off the five-run frame with RBI singles of their own.

Sterling scratched one run in the top of the third inning, but Rochelle fired back with four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, taking a 9-1 lead after a two-run single to center from Eli Thompson and a two-run double to right field from Chase Brown. Sterling rallied for five runs in the top of the sixth inning, but a popout to center ended the threat and sealed Rochelle’s win.

Sterling 2

Rochelle faced Sterling in the final round on Thursday evening, falling 19-9 to move into a winner-take-all championship game Friday. Teddy Millard and Jaxon Quinonez each pitched three innings and combined for eight strikeouts on the mound for the 12U All-Stars. Reed Dougherty went 2-for-3 with two singles and two RBIs to lead the Rochelle offense in the game.

Sterling surged ahead 3-0 after tallying three runs on one double, one single, two walks and a fielder’s choice ground ball in the top of the first inning. Rochelle earned one run back in the bottom of the second inning, where Garrett Miller scored on a passed ball after belting a one-out double earlier in the frame. A two-run double and a run-scoring single capped off a three-run frame for Sterling in the top of the third inning, putting Rochelle behind in the game 6-1.

Sterling exploded for eight runs on one double and six walks in the top of the fourth inning. Trailing 14-1, Rochelle responded with five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, where Gavin Smith drew a bases-loaded walk and Jaxon Quinonez slapped an RBI single to second base. Reed Dougherty reached on an error, allowing two runs to come home for the 12U All-Stars.

Roberto Bugarin’s RBI groundout sparked a three-run effort from Rochelle in the bottom of the fifth inning, where Eli Thompson smacked an RBI single and Garrett Miller sent a sacrifice fly into center field to bring one run home and make the score 14-9 in favor of Sterling. Sterling sealed its win with five runs on two doubles and three singles in the top of the sixth inning.

Sterling 3

Rochelle battled Sterling in the winner-take-all championship game on Friday evening, falling 17-6 to finish the district tournament in second place. Eli Thompson pitched four innings and struck out five batters for the 12U All-Stars, while Jaxon Quinonez and Roberto Bugarin combined for three strikeouts. Jadon Exantus went 2-for-3 with two RBIs on offense.

An RBI double in the top of the first inning sparked a two-run surge that gave Sterling a 1-0 lead over Rochelle. The 12U All-Stars answered in the bottom of the first inning, scoring after Kamden Kessen laced an RBI single into right field to drive home Gavin Smith, who went 2-for-3 in the game. A two-run single from Jadon Exantus, as well as an RBI single from Gavin Smith and a steal of home by Jaxson Olsen, allowed Rochelle to command a 5-2 lead over Sterling.

Sterling retook the lead 7-5 in the top of the third inning, scoring five runs on a three-run, inside-the-park home run as well as an RBI double and a steal of home. Sterling added two runs on two singles and two walks in the top of the fourth inning. A two-run double, as well as an RBI triple and an RBI single, led to four more runs for Sterling in the top of the fifth inning.

Kamden Kessen’s RBI groundout allowed Roberto Bugarin to come home and make the score 13-6 in the bottom of the fifth inning. Sterling clinched its win with four runs on two walks and two singles in the top of the sixth inning.