LA GRANGE – After winning the state championship in the 9- and 10-year-old division last year, manager Jeff Lobb knew there would be a target on the back of his 11-year-old Warren County South All-Star team this year.

For the past six weeks, Lobb and his staff made sure to let their squad know the other teams would be looking to knock them off.

South took the challenge and ran with it – claiming another state title with a 5-2 win over Lexington Eastern in the championship game Wednesday at North Oldham Little League.

Max Lobb was strong on the mound and Jaxon Griffin finished with three hits and two RBIs as Warren County South completed a perfect 10-0 run through the district and state tournaments.

“They did everything we asked,” Jeff Lobb said. “I am big on attitude and effort and the effort was there. We had some hard practices … but they came out and did everything we told them to do and it showed (today).”

He added for his team to go unbeaten was even more impressive with the competition they faced.

“Just getting out of our district is hard,” Lobb said. “The teams in our district are some of the toughest teams in the state. It’s tough just to get out of district. Once you make it past district, now you are playing teams that are all the best of the best from around the state. You have to show up every single day and play your heart out to advance here.”

Warren County South outscored opponents 61-4 heading in the championship game, but Lexington Eastern was able to hang with South most of the way on Wednesday.

Lexington starter Jack Clickner held South to one hit the first time through the order. South finally broke through in the third, with an extra out setting the stage for the top of the lineup.

Thomas Fentress reached base on a dropped third strike and moved to second on a wild pitch to lead off the inning. Clickner struck out the next two batters before Jakob Whalen delivered with an RBI triple. Griffin followed with an RBI double to make the score 2-0.

“I feel like that gave the team a lot of confidence, really got them motivated,” Griffin said. “The first time I got a hit, but it was off the end of the bat. The next at-bat, I saw it out of his hands and I roped it.”

Eastern got an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth but had the tying run thrown out at the plate to end the inning. Warren County answered with three runs in the fifth – including an RBI single by Griffin – to stretch the lead to 5-1.

Eastern added another run in the fifth but stranded two runners in scoring position.

Max Lobb retired the first two batters in the sixth before hitting his pitch limit. Wyatt Watson came in to get the final out and secure the state title.

“It’s just a great feeling,” Max Lobb said. “We won it last year and that’s an exciting feeling to do it again this year.”

Max Lobb allowed one earned run and seven hits with six strikeouts and two walks. The right-hander worked around traffic most of the day but was able to limit the damage with Lexington Eastern stranding nine runners.

Whalen scored two runs for South, while Max Lobb and Easton Kane added a hit each.

Like last season, the state title is the end of the line for this all-star team. Jeff Lobb said with two state titles under their belts, the next step is to win as 12-year-olds and make a run at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. The 12-year-old state winner advances to the Great Lakes Region, with the winner there earning a berth in the Little League World Series.

“That’s a lot of pressure,” Jeff Lobb said. “To have some success in the last two years, you kind of come in as the unsaid favorite. We told the kids at the end of it – ultimately in Little League that 12-year-old year is the year you get to advance past the state level and go and do what every kid wants to do, have a chance to play in the Little League World Series. Now in the offseason the things they do, decisions they make need to have that goal in mind because that is our ultimate goal.”

WCS 002 030 – 5 6 2

LE 000 110 – 2 7 2

WP: Lobb LP: Clickner S: Watson{&end}