Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

YOUNGSTOWN — The tournament run came to a halt.
The Rock Hill Junior League All-Stars battled their way back to win the loser’s bracket championship, but fell short of their state title goal as they lost to the Mason All-Stars 16-1 in the state title game on Wednesday.
Rock Hill was limited to only one hit. Izaak Cox was 1-for-2 with a double for the Redmen who finish the season at state runners-up.
Mason led just 3-1 after the first inning, but seven errors and 13 walks enabled Mason to generate some offense including a nine-run fourth inning that sealed the outcome.
Team members for Rock Hill are: Dylan Griffith, Connor Blagg, Jake Fox, Drew Schug, Jayson McFann, Anthony Stamper, Brady Cremeans, Chase Nichols, Isaac Doolin, Izaac Cox. Coaches are Ryan Doolin, Chad Ratliff, Mason Ratliff and Lonnie Griffith.
Junior League State Finals
Mason 321 9 = 16 8 0
Rock Hill 100 0 = 1 1 7
McClain and McClain. Mason Ratliff, Chase Nichols (2), Jayson McFann (3) and Jake Fox, Mason Ratliff (2). W-McClain (IP-4.0, H-1, R-1, ER-1, K-2, BB-2). L-t (IP-1.1, H-4, R-8, ER-8, K-3, BB-8). Nichols (IP-1.1, H-1, R-2, ER-2, K-1, BB-2). McFann (IP-1.1, H-3, R-6, ER-3, K-2, BB-3). Hitting-Mason: Laughlin 1-2 rbi, Moyer 1-1 2-rbi, Roberts 1-1, Yost 2-4 2-rbi, McEntire 1-1 2-rbi, Vestal 2-2 2B 3-rbi; RH: Izaak Cox 1-2 2B, Isaac Doolin rbi, Brady Cremeans run.
Ratliff, Redmen win
Rock Hill needed a win to stay alive in the Junior League State Tournament. Mason Ratliff proved to be the right medicine.
Ratliff went 2-for-4, drove in five runs, scored three times and stole six bases as Rock Hill routed Boardman for the second time in the tournament, 19-9.
Rock Hill beat Boardman 17-7 in an earlier meeting.
Dylan Griffith worked 4.2 innings to get the win. He gave up eight hits, nine runs but only five earned, struck out three and walked seven.
Ratliff and Jayson McFann finished up to secure the win.
Rock had seven hits and drew 18 walks which helped them steal a whopping 20 bases as a team.
Each team got a run in the first and Boardman went up 5-1 in the second inning.
But Rock Hill scored eight times in the third inning to take the lead for good at 9-5.
Chase Nichols had a two-run double, Brady Cremeans was hit by a pitch to force in a run, and both Isaac Doolin and Ratliff had two-run singles.
Griffith went 1-3 with two RBI, Cremeans 1-4 and an RBI, Doolin 1-1 and two RBI, McFann 1-4 and an RBI while Nichols was 1-2 and a pair of runs batted in.
Semifinals
Boardman 140 220 = 9 9 3
Rock Hill 108 154 = 19 7 2
K. Pekannen, Leonard (3), Genien (5), Gogliono (6) and C. Pekannen. Dylan Griffith, Mason Ratliff (5), Jayson McFann (6) and Mason Ratliff, Chase Nichols (5). W-Griffith (IP-4.2, H-8, R-9, ER-5, K-3, BB-7). Ratliff (IP-1.0, H-1, K-3, BB-2). McFann (IP-0-.1). L-K. Pekannen (IP-2.2, H-3, R-7, ER-7, K-6, BB-7). Leonard (IP-2.0, H-2, R-8, ER-3, K-3, BB-6). Genien (IP-0.2, H-1, R-4, ER-3, BB-4). Gogliono (H-1, BB-1). Hitting-Boardman: C. Pekannen 1-4, Leonard 2-4 2BWhippo 1-4 2B, Genien 2-3, Burton 1-4, Beatty 1-2; RH: Dylan Griffith 1-3 2-rbi, Brady Cremeans 1-4 rbi, Isaac Doolin 1-1 2-rbi, Mason Ratliff 2-4 5-rbi, Jayson McFann 1-4 rbi, Chase Nichols 1-2 2-rbi.