BY GREG GULAS
      Boardman News Sports
      bnews@zoominternet.net
      The Boardman 12-U Community softball teeam finished 2-2 at last week’s Little League Softball World Series Central regional, opening the tournament with a 2-0 win over Boyd County, Kentucky Boyd, then following that up with a 2-0 decision over Beardstown-Illinois on July 27.
      After a hard fought loss to eventual champion Missouri Daniel Boone, 5-2, Boardman scored the first two runs of the tournament that Missouri allowed after outscoring their first two opponents by a 27-0 count, on July 28, and eventual runner-up Floyds Knob Community Club of Indiana eliminated the Boardman entry the following day, 13-0, to finish .500 for their four-game effort.
      “This was such an amazing experience and a really awesome ride,” head coach Marissa Davies said after the tourney. “I could not be any prouder of these girls. They represented our Boardman community and great state of Ohio with class, creating a lifetime of memories that they will never forget.
      “This team has accomplished so much, ending our historic post-season run as district and state champions while finishing third overall in the Central regional tournament.”
      In their opening game, pitcher Emma Davies hurled a three-hitter, striking out 12 while Emily Swantek and Addie Rudge each drove in a run to pace Boardman to their shutout of Kentucky.
      In their 5-1 win over Illinois, Davies needed just 82 pitched to dispose of Illinois – like Boardman, they also finished the tournament 2-2 overall – scattering five hits and striking out five while Taylor Watts, Emily Swantek, Davies, Mia Duble (double) and Katherine Rudiak had Boardman’s five safeties.
      Addie Rudge knocked in two runs with Addie Volosin and Rudiak also adding RBIs.
      Boardman took a 2-0 lead in their initial at bat when Watts led off with a walk, moved to second on a wild pitch and after Davies walked placed runners on first and second to start the game.
      After Swantek’s single loaded the bases, Watts scored on Rudge’s fielder’s choice with Addie Volosin making it a 2-0 contest when her ground out plated Davies.
      Boardman extended their lead in the third frame when Rudge’s grounder scored Watts – Watts led off the inning with a single – for a 3-0 advantage, making it a 4-0 contest when Volosin reached on an infield error hat permitted Davis to cross the plate.
      Illinois avoided the shutout in the fourth inning when pitcher Khloe Kearns led off with a double, advanced to third base on a wild pitch then scored on a sacrifice fly by Addilyn Tracy.
      Boardman added an insurance marker in the sixth inning when Duble doubled with two outs, scoring the team’s fifth run of the game when Rudiak drove her home with a single to left field.
      “We played well together and I am super proud of them,” Davies said after the game. “In our first two games we had timely hitting, excellent pitching and our exceptional defense.”
      Boardman lost their first game of the tournament, dropping a 5-2 decision to Missouri, a team that had not allowed a run in their first two outings.
      Missouri twirlers Jaylynn Brown and Rylee Ellsworth combined to throw a five-hitter, striking out six while issuing two free passes as they outdueled Davies, who needed just 62 total pitches as she absorbed her first loss in regional play.
      Davies scattered eight hits and struck out five during her six innings pitched.
      Missouri opened a 1-0 lead in the first when Mackenna Gibson’s sacrifice fly scored Ealynne Bostick, making it a 2-0 contest in the third inning when Gibson’s r.b.i. double also drove home Bostick.
      Back to back doubles by Keelee Hagler and Ellsworth to lead off the fourth inning extended the Missouri lead to 3-0 and when Taylor Trim’s triple plated Ellsworth, Missouri made it a 4-0 contest.
      Bostick’s two-out double then drove home Trim as Missouri bult a 5-0 margin.
      Boardman avoided the shutout in their final at bat when Swantek’s one-out double drove home Davies with their first run of the game, pulling to within 5-2 when Rudge followed with a single that scored Swantek.
      That would end the scoring for both teams.
      Swantek (double) finished with two of her team’s five safeties while Rudge, Volosin and Addie Fiddler registered the other three hits.
      Swantek and Rudge each had an RBI as Boardman suffered its first loss of the tournament.
      Indiana then eliminated Boardman, 13-0, in a game-shortened, 3½ inning affair.
      Pitcher Aubrey Duckworth allowed just one hit, which came off the bat of Addie Fiddler with two outs in the second inning.
      An 11-run first inning was just too much for Boardman to overcome as Indiana added two insurance markers in the third inning to eliminate the tourney’s Ohio representative.
      Adyson Rohman led Indiana offensively with two hits and three runs batted in while Emory Hegedus, Natalie Curtis, Shealee Kerley and Emma Warren all drove in two runs for the tournament’s eventual runners-up.
      Missouri then proceeded to dispose of Indiana, 4-0, in the championship game.
      The champion Daniel Boone Little League unit led the nine-team Central regional with a perfect 4-0 mark, with Boardman finishing 2-2 in their four games played
      Indiana finished 5-2, Illinois and Iowa joined Boardman with 2-2 marks, Kentucky was 1-2 while Michigan, Nebraska and Wisconsin were 0-2 in the double elimination tournament.