By JIM WALKER

Tribune Sports Editor

SOUTH BEND, IN. — Coming back has Rock Valley going on.

Sparked by a two-run walk-off home run by Dani Crabtree, the Ohio Senior League All-Stars earned a berth in the Midwest Regional semifinals.

After losing their first game of the tournament 6-0 on Sunday to host District 11, Rock Valley — a.k.a. Ohio — beat Iowa 3-1 and Kentucky 2-1 to get out of the pool play and advance to the final four.

Ohio plays Michigan at 10 a.m. Wednesday and the winner plays at 12:30 p.m. against the winner of the District 11-Indiana game for the right to advance to the nationals Aug. 8 in Delaware.

“We were a little nervous the first game and couldn’t get a hit,” said Rock Valley manager Deron Schug.

“But we got good pitching and good defense and Dani’s hit gave us the momentum we needed. We were struggling at the plate and that got our offense going.”

Ohio had seven errors in the first game as they allowed only two earned runs in the loss to District 11. Courtney Duncan was 1-3 with a double, Morgan Schug 1-3, Crabtree 1-2, and Erica Johnson and Karie Brumbaugh 1-1 each as Ohio had five hits.

Iowa took a 1-0 lead in Monday’s first game, but Ohio tied the game with a run 9 in the third inning when Katie Hill and Vicki Donley singled and Ashley Griffith put down a sacrifice bunt.

Hannah Maynard reached on an error and Crabtree crushed the first pitch for a home run in the bottom of the seventh to give Ohio the 3-1 win.

Schug and Rachel Murnahan combined on a 3-hitter as they struck out seven.

Murnahan pitched a 3-hitter in the second game Monday as Ohio won 2-1.

Ohio took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Duncan reached on a fielder’s choice, Schug singled to put runners on the corner, and a passed ball scored Duncan.

Duncan singled, stole second base, went to third on a passed ball and scored what proved to be the winning run when Maynard grounded out in the third inning.

Maynard was 2-3, Donley 1-2, and Schug, Duncan and Breanna Depriest 1-3 as Ohio had six hits.

The regional games will be aired on broadcastsport.net

Sunday

Ohio 000 000 0 = 0 5 7

District 11 021 102 x = 6 13 0

Monday

First Game

Iowa 100 000 0 = 1 3 0

Ohio 001 000 2 = 3 4 0

Second Game

Kentucky 000 100 0 = 1 3 2

Ohio 101 000 x = 2 6 1