Kinley Rasmus and Phenix City Little League’s historic Southeast run concluded Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, with an 11-2 elimination-bracket loss to Ohio in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Rasmus, who carried on a family baseball legacy as the daughter of former Major League pitcher Cory Rasmus, finished her tournament tied for records in hits and strikeouts by a female player.
Phenix City’s Elimination and Ohio’s Relentless Offensive Outburst
The journey for the Phenix City Youth Baseball Little League team ended under the lights on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, as Ohio defeated Alabama 11-2 in the final game of the day at the Little League World Series. Both teams had entered the elimination matchup with matching 3-1 records, but the Great Lakes champions from Hamilton, Ohio, took control immediately.
Alabama pulled starting pitcher Easton Allen in the opening frame after he walked four batters. Ohio capitalized on the early wildness by plating four runs in the first inning, adding three more in the third, and sealing the victory with four insurance runs in the final frame. The victors finished with 12 hits and eight walks, with Bryson Williams collecting three hits while Jack McAdams, Bob Frazier, and Finn Dykes each tallied multiple RBIs. Bryson Williams and Josiah Infante combined to strike out six while allowing just two runs on the mound.
Ohio did not leave anything to chance in the top of the sixth inning as they loaded the bases with no outs via two walks and a single. Walker Osborne scored when the Alabama catcher dropped a pitch to make the game 8-2, prompting Alabama to swap pitchers and put Brooks Cameron on the mound. Hudson Vonderheide then hit a ground ball toward second base to bring home Finn Dykes for a 9-2 advantage. Boone Treadway hit a sacrifice fly allowing Zach Hilton to score to push the lead to 10-2, and Leo Feltner singled on a ground ball to make it 11-2. Despite a leadoff double from Ryker Rasmus in the bottom of the inning, Alabama went three up, three down.
Kinley Rasmus Finishes a Record-Breaking Tournament Run
The primary storyline surrounding the Alabama squad throughout the tournament centered on two-way star Kinley Rasmus. Because she had thrown 54 pitches during Monday’s victory against Washington, tournament regulations required her to observe three days of mandatory rest, leaving her ineligible to pitch against Ohio. She contributed at the plate by drawing a walk and grounding into a fielder’s choice in her two plate appearances.
Despite the elimination, Rasmus exits Williamsport having cemented her name in the tournament record books. She tied the all-time tournament record for most hits by a girl with five total hits, and matched Mo’ne Davis’s historic mark for the most strikeouts by a female player with 14 total strikeouts across her appearances on the mound. Her standout run featured a notable debut against Washington where she pitched six innings with zero hits, zero runs, two walks, and eight strikeouts while drawing a walk at the plate. Against California, she went 2-for-2 with a walk and an RBI double to left field, becoming just the fifth girl in tournament history to achieve a multi-hit game. She followed that up against Pennsylvania by going 1-for-3 with an RBI single and six strikeouts on the mound, and then went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI against Washington to break the all-time hits record.
Baseball Lineage and Williamsport Heritage
Athletic pedigree runs deep for the young phenom. Kinley Rasmus is the daughter of former Major League pitcher Cory Rasmus, who pitched for the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Angels during his professional career. Cory Rasmus also played for Phenix City Little League, helping guide the team to the LLWS championship game back in 1999.
Additionally, her uncle is former MLB outfielder Colby Rasmus, a 10-year veteran who played from 2009 to 2018 for organizations including the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Rays, and Baltimore Orioles.
Matchup Box Score and Tournament Bracket Context
The elimination game showcased a gritty defensive effort from Alabama in the middle innings, highlighted by pitcher Cam Lee striking out two batters in the fifth to prevent the Great Lakes team from extending their lead further.
Inning 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
Ohio (Great Lakes) 4 0 3 0 0 4 11 12 0
Alabama (Southeast) 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 5 1
With the win, the Great Lakes champions advanced to face Iowa at 9 a.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, in a schedule adjustment prompted by potential rain in the area.
