OWENSBORO – The Warren County South 11-12-year-olds didn’t have the explosive start they’ve grown accustomed to Thursday night.

But South’s bats and the arm of Matthew Mitchell gained steam as the night progressed.

Mitchell struck out 14 batters, and Warren County South rallied from an early deficit for a 6-1 win over Ohio County in the 2012 Little League District 1 championship at the Owensboro Southern Little League Sports Complex.

Ohio County scored its lone run in the first with an RBI double by Will Davis.

Mitchell gave up three hits the rest of the way and struck out 12 of the final 16 batters he faced.

South answered in the bottom of the third with an RBI double by Mitchell, followed by an RBI single by Seth Linder.

Josh Wood added a leadoff home run in the fourth, and Hunter Evans drove in another run with a single.

Warren County South capped its scoring in the bottom of the fifth, when Kirtley Lawrence scored on a wild pitch and Granite Pare added an RBI single.

The team will play the first game of this year’s state tournament July 21 in Prestonsburg against the winner of District 6.

OC 1 0 0 0 0 0 – 1

WCS 0 0 2 2 2 x – 6

Franklin, WC South set for 10-11s final

Franklin-Simpson and Warren County South will play at 6 p.m. today for the 10-11s District 1 championship at Highland Elementary School in Owensboro.

Top-seeded Franklin-Simpson advanced Thursday with a 10-0 win over Owensboro Southern, while Warren County South beat Warren County North 9-5.

WC South got 11 strikeouts from pitcher Zach Beckner and two hits apiece from Titus Thornhill, Trent Rice and Clay Nohel.

No. 1 seed Owensboro Southern will play at 6 p.m. today for the 9-10s championship at the Owensboro Southern Little League Sports Complex. Southern will face either Logan County or Warren County South, which were still completing their semifinal matchup late Thursday night.

Owensboro Southern beat Bowling Green East 15-7 in the first semifinal.

See Friday’s Daily News for full coverage.