SOUTH BEND — Second verse same as the first.

For the second straight year, the Ohio Senior League Girls All-Star faced the District 11 All-Stars in the Central Regional championship with a berth in the World Series at stake.

Not only were they the same teams, the game matched the same pitchers and catchers.

Unfortunately, the results were the same for the Ohio All-Stars.

District 11 used the pitching of Jenny Bals to help beat Ohio 5-0 in the title game.

“It was definitely a championship game. We just had a couple of misques. It was the same pitcher and same catcher that beat us last year. We just had a couple mistakes and that was the difference,” said Ohio coach Ron Estep.

“We played well all day, we just came up a little short. It was a great ball game.”

Ohio beat Michigan 8-3 in the semifinals on Thursday morning to earn a berth in the title game. District 11 beat Indiana 10-0 in the other semifinal game.

Estep had nothing but praise for his team.

“(Bekkah) Potter threw a heck of a game against Michigan, and Erica (Corn) threw a good game. We couldn’t generate two or three hits together in the championship game,” said Estep.

“But the kids played hard and played well. We couldn’t ask for any more out of the kids.”

The title game was scoreless until the third inning when District 11 got a pair of runs on a dropped throw with the bases loaded.

Three more runs scored in the sixth after a dropped fly ball led to a three-run homer on an 0-2 pitch.

Ohio threatened in the third inning with runners on second and third and two outs. Brooke Skinner doubled in the inning for Ohio.

In the seventh, Ohio had runners and first and second but couldn’t sustain the rally.

Nikki Elswick and Skinner were 2-3 for Ohio and Jessie Morris 1-3. Corn struck out nine, walked three and gave up six hits in taking the loss.

In the semifinal game, Ohio banged out 14 hits to back the pitching of Potter.

Nikki Nance was 4-6 to lead the offense. Chelsea Wall was 2-3, Morris 2-4 and Karlie Collins 2-5.

Michigan broke a scoreless tie with two runs in the third, but Ohio came back to tie the game in the fourth.

Elswick was safe on a fielder’s choice, Wall walked and Kayla Ross belted a two-run double.

Michigan went on top 3-2 in the top of the fifth, but Ohio took the lead for good with two runs in the bottom of the inning.

Corn was safe on a fielder’s choice with two outs. Elswick walked and both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Corn scored on a passed ball and Elswick came home when Wall singled.

Ohio put the game away with four runs in the sixth.

Morris and Potter singled and Nance doubled for two runs. Corn singled and Collins hit into a fielder’s choice as a run scored. Elswick was safe on an error as the final run came home.

Central Regional

Semifinals

Michigan 002 010 0 = 3 6 4

Ohio 000 224 x = 8 14 1

Vanderbor and Mataes. Bekkah Potter and Chelsea Wall. W-Potter (6-K, 5-BB). L-Vanderbor (9-K, 5-BB). 2B-Ohio: Kayla Ross, Nikki Nance. Hitting-Michigan: Kingsley 3-4, Shaickegel 1-4, Tomlison 1-3, Veldman 1-3; Ohio: Nikki Nance 4-6, Karlie Collins 2-5, Chelsea Wall 2-3, Jessie Morris 2-4, Kayla Ross 1-3, Nikki Elswick 1-3, Erica Corn 1-6, Bekkah Potter 1-6.

Championship

District 11 002 003 0 = 5 6 3

Ohio 000 000 0 = 0 5 2

Jenny Bals and Buffield. Erica Corn and Chelsea Wall. W-Bals (10-K, 0-BB). L-Corn (9-K, 3-BB). 2B-Ohio: Brooke Skinner. HR-District 11: Kurzhal. Hitting-District 11: Dainella 2-4, Kurzhal 2-3, Buffield 1-4, Symzack 1-3; Ohio: Nikki Elswick 2-3, Brooke Skinner 2-3, Jessie Morris 1-3.