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Lesters claims youth league title
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Dougie’s Army dominated the Morrison Ruritan co-ed youth softball league every night except one.Lester’s Body Shop spoiled a perfect season for Dougie’s Army on the last night of play at Morrison, winning back-to-back games to take the tournament title.Lester’s Body Shop handed Dougie’s its first loss Friday night, winning 27-24 to force a second game to decide the championship.In the second game, Lester’s Body Shop won by run rule, 34-20.Dougie’s Army looked untouchable as it marched through the regular season with nine straight wins.Led by an MVP season from pitcher Caylea Smith, who finished the regular season with 12 inside-the-park home runs, Dougie’s Army was the favorite to take the tournament title as well.Lester’s Body Shop wasn’t going to lie down in the title games though. Behind four inside-the-park home runs by Kyle Fowler, Lester’s won the first game Friday night.Justin Holt added a three-run, over-the-fence home run in the second inning, while Audrey Phillips chipped in three hits, including an inside-the-park home run.Dougie’s got four hits each from Smith, Jacob Elam, Logan Boren and Braxton Fitts, but it wasn’t enough to keep the perfect season intact.Beating Dougie’s once seemed to give Lester’s Body Shop the confidence needed to pull a major upset in the championship.Lester’s stormed out to a 14-4 lead after three innings in the second game and never looked back.As part of a six-hit game, Justin Holt put any chances of a comeback for Dougie’s away by starting a 10-run fifth inning for Lester’s with an inside-the-park home run. Fowler finished off the inning with a two-run single as Lester’s led 25-10.Dougie’s extended the game by scoring seven runs in the bottom of the fifth, including getting an inside-the-park home run from Abi Terry.Phillips added more insurance in the sixth inning when she blasted an inside-the-park grand slam to cap off a nine-run inning and put Lester’s ahead 34-17.Dougie’s needed at least eight runs in the bottom of the sixth to keep the game going, but the team could only manage three before the final out was recorded.Hannah Young and Fitts had three hits for Dougie’s in the second championship game.Lester’s Body Shop won the tournament title after finishing the regular season in second place with an 8-2 record.