ROCK FALLS — The Rochelle Little League 10U Baseball All-Stars went 3-1 over four games to win the Illinois Little League District 19 Championship tournament at Wallingford Park in Rock Falls this week. Rochelle opened the tournament with wins against Rock Falls and Freeport to reach the finals, where the 10U All-Stars defeated Freeport on Wednesday to clinch the title.

The team includes Brecken Bruns, Chase Olsen, Cody Cox, Connor Isley, Cooper Harris, Griffin Rutledge, Gwen Good, Jacob Chadwick, Max Harley, Michael Vaughn, Paul Olszewski, Quade Dickey and Tanner Dixon. The team is coached by John Cox, John Vaughn and Jeff Dickey.

Rock Falls

Rochelle began the tournament with a 4-0 win against Rock Falls on Friday evening. Cody Cox threw two and one-third innings while striking out five batters without allowing a hit. Brecken Bruns pitched the next two and two-thirds innings, striking out four batters and limiting Rock Falls to two hits. Quade Dickey fired a scoreless frame with three strikeouts to seal the win.

The 10U All-Stars took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning, where Chase Olsen sparked the Rochelle offense with an RBI single and Max Harley belted a two-run single to center field. The 10U All-Stars added a run in the bottom of the third inning, scoring after Jacob Chadwick reached on an RBI infield single to the shortstop that plated Cooper Harris.

Freeport 1

Rochelle reached the championship round with a 4-2 win over Freeport on Sunday. Cody Cox started on the mound, throwing three and two-thirds innings with five strikeouts. Tanner Dixon tossed the final two and one-third innings, striking out four without allowing an earned run.

The 10U All-Stars held a 1-0 lead after Quade Dickey scored on a passed ball in the top of the second inning. Rochelle surged ahead 3-0 in the top of the third inning, where Cooper Harris slapped an RBI single to center and Brecken Bruns smacked an RBI single to right field.

Freeport rallied for two runs on two hits in the bottom of the fourth inning. Rochelle sealed its win with an insurance run in the top of the fifth inning, where Connor Isley scored on a passed ball after reaching base on a lead-off walk. Brecken Bruns went 2-for-3 with two singles to lead the Rochelle offense, while Cooper Harris went 2-for-2 with two singles and one run scored.

Freeport 2

Rochelle fell 4-3 against Freeport in the championship round on Tuesday evening, which forced a winner-take-all title game on Wednesday evening. Jacob Chadwick pitched three innings and struck out two batters, while Brecken Bruns fired two innings and struck out two batters.

Rochelle tallied two runs in the top of the first inning, scoring after Brecken Bruns and Jacob Chadwick each touched home plate on passed balls. Freeport took the lead after scratching three runs on two walks and one triple in the bottom of the first inning. Freeport added another run on an RBI single in the bottom of the third inning, putting the 10U All-Stars behind 4-2.

Jacob Chadwick’s RBI groundout in the top of the fourth inning drove Gwen Good home and brought Rochelle within one run. Brecken Bruns and Cody Cox each went 2-for-2 to lead the Rochelle offense in the game, while Gwen Good went 1-for-1 with a single and a run scored.

Freeport 3

Rochelle clinched the district championship with a 16-3 win against Freeport on Wednesday evening. Brecken Bruns threw four and two-thirds innings, striking out three batters before handing the baseball to Tanner Dixon, who recorded one strikeout to seal the Rochelle win.

The 10U All-Stars took a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning, where Michael Vaughn bashed an RBI single and Chase Olsen blasted a two-run double to center field. Connor Isley capped off the frame with an RBI groundout to score Quade Dickey, who reached on a hit-by-pitch.

Freeport tallied one run in the bottom of the second inning, but Rochelle answered with a two-run single from Griffin Rutledge in the top of the third inning. An RBI double in the bottom of the third inning and an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth inning made the score 7-3.

Holding a four-run lead, Rochelle broke the game wide open with nine runs in the top of the fifth inning, where Griffin Rutledge and Cody Cox slapped back-to-back RBI singles before Michael Vaughn and Quade Dickey reached on consecutive bases-loaded walks. Chase Olsen, Connor Isley and Max Harley followed with a trio of RBI singles to give Rochelle a 13-run lead.

Chase Olsen went 2-for-3 with four RBIs to lead the Rochelle offense, while Griffin Rutledge went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and three players including Michael Vaughn, Quade Dickey and Connor Isley finished with two RBIs. Jacob Chadwick went 2-for-2 and scored three runs.