SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT— Ella Bruning has turned into the individual everybody needs to converse with in South Williamsport this week.
The starting catcher for the Wylie Little League group from Abilene, Texas, is the twentieth female to play in the Little League World Series and the lone young lady to contend in the current year’s competition. She can hit, pitch, take bases and take a foul ball off the knee.
In Texas’ 6-0 success over Washington on Friday, she took second, scored the main run and drove the group with two hits and a RBI, turning out to be only the third young lady to have a multi-hit game in the Little League World Series.
“She’s a role model for my daughter and a bunch of the younger sisters on this team,” Texas manager Reggie Regala said. “She’s always been that way, and now that she’s on this big stage, she’s a huge role model for girls everywhere.”
Baseball is a family affair in the Bruning family. Ella’s dad, Bryan, has instructed his kids for more than 10 years and is an aide on the Abilene crew. Her more youthful sibling, Dillon, is an outfielder and second baseman for the group. Their more established sibling, Collin, sits in the stands and cheers, as a matter of fact envious that his groups passed up this chance a couple of years prior.
Ella’s baseball story started with shagging batting practice balls in the outfield for Collin’s group when she was 7 years of age.
“I think she caught a line drive one day and some of the boys teased her about being on the team,” Ella’s mom, Lindi, recalled. “From that point, it was always a joke that she would play and, eventually, she did.”
Her strength behind the plate has been recorded throughout the week. In the wake of taking a foul ball to the knee on Monday evening, in a 6-5 misfortune to Michigan, she remained in the game and closed the following three contributes off her mind the soil with wonderful structure.
“She has always been pretty natural and likes the competition that the league provides,” Lindi said.
Ella’s prosperity isn’t restricted to the baseball field — she’s a softball star, as well.
However, she dropped softball for the mid year to join the Abilene group in its quest for the LLWS. The change from underhand to overhand pitching was really difficult for her, however she realized how high the stakes were. What’s more, she struck out a couple of hitters on the hill in a provincial matchup against Louisiana.
“We knew this (year) was our biggest shot to go this far,” Ella said. “This is once in a lifetime. I have softball for the rest of my life, so I can do this for one year and go right back.”
Previous Williamsport star Mo’ne Davis, presently in school, keeps on getting back to the Little League World Series as a transmission expert. Both she and Ella have motivated the up and coming age of young ladies simultaneously.
“I saw her back today in an Abilene shirt. I don’t think Ella realizes how far her impact is felt through different states all across the place.”
Ella started at catcher again on Tuesday, playing her third blunder free game in succession at the competition as Texas beat New Jersey 2-1 to fight off disposal and set up a game against Nebraska on Wednesday. Be that as it may, regardless of whether her group’s second reaches a conclusion before the title on Sunday, Regala said his new star “handles the attention well.”
