Watch: Kinley Rasmus becomes first girl with 5 hits in a Little League World Series
· Yahoo Sports
Aug. 26 (UPI) -- Kinley Rasmus continued her mesmerizing mastery of baseball, setting a record for the most hits by a girl -- five -- in the history of the Little League World Series tournament.
Rasmus, 12, who tied the mark for the most strikeouts thrown by a girl Monday, completed her latest feat with her fourth and fifth hits of the 2026 competition in a 4-2 Phenix City (Alabama) win over Tacoma (Washington) on Tuesday in Williamsport, Pa.
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With the victory, Phenix City -- representing the Southeast -- advanced to another elimination game.
Rasmus' crew will meet Hamilton (Ohio) -- the Great Lakes region champion -- on Wednesday in Williamsport. The two-way star went 2 for 3, with an RBI, run scored and a strikeout in Tuesday's win. She was the only player to record multiple hits.
Just 26 girls have played in the Little League World Series since 1957. Belgium's Victoria Roche became the first girl to play in the tournament in 1984. San Pedro's (Calif.) Victoria Brucker became the first American girl to play in the tournament in 1989.
Phenix City starter Jerry Taylor kept Tacoma scoreless through three innings and didn't allow a hit until the fourth frame of Tuesday's triumph.
His squad took a 1-0 lead off an RBI single from second baseman Casen Smith in the first and never looked back. Rasmus pinged an RBI single to left field in the third for a 2-0 lead.
That hit -- her fourth of the tournament -- tied her with Japan's Syaka Tsushima for the most by a girl in Little League World Series history. Tsushima set that mark in 1998.
Rasmus came in to score Phenix City's third run off a double from outfielder Cam Lee in the bottom of the third.
Tacoma got on the score board with an RBI sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth. Rasmus' cousin -- Ryker -- hit an RBI single in the bottom of the same inning for Phenix City's final score.
Rasmus recorded her second hit of the night -- and record fifth of the tournament -- with another single in the fifth frame. Tacoma plated the game's last run with an RBI double in the top of the sixth.
Rasmus recorded the final out of the game when she gloved a fly ball just past second base in the top of the sixth. Taylor allowed four hits and two runs over five innings. He issued four walks and three strikeouts.
Phenix City and Hamilton will play at 7 p.m. EDT Wednesday on ESPN. The winner will take on Henderson (Nevada) -- the Mountain champions -- or Davenport (Iowa) -- the Midwest champions.
The participation of Rasmus and Henderson's Carsynn Meyer mark the fourth time two girls have played in the same Little League World Series.
Rasmus is one strikeout away from breaking the record for strikeouts (14) thrown by a girl at the tournament -- held by Mo'ne Davis.