Staff report

Rain was the only thing that could stop Troy Nationals pitcher Dario Rouse.

Rouse started for the Nationals Friday in the Dixie Youth district tournament in Ozark and went into the fourth inning with a 1-0 lead over the Dothan Nationals Blue.

Then came the rains. They forced a suspension of the game, and when it resumed Saturday, so did Rouse. He struck out six of the game's final seven batters as Troy advanced further in the winner's bracket with a 4-0 win. The Nationals will play Monday at 8 p.m. against the winner of the Ashford-Ozark game. The Troy Americans did not play this weekend and will play Monday at 6 p.m. against an opponent to be named.

The Nationals took the lead Friday in the bottom of the second inning when Rouse reached on an infield single. He scored later in the inning on a Trey Walters RBI sacrifice fly.

Dothan put two runners on base in the first inning and one in the second but could not score any runs. Rouse had control the whole night.

Rouse retired two batters in the fourth inning Friday when the storm forced the suspension. The game resumed Saturday with a runner on first base and two outs, but Rouse was not intimidated.

He struck out the first batter he saw Saturday, and he struck out five more before the game was over. Dothan never had a chance.

The Nationals scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Donta Harris hit a bunt single, and Will Starling and Douglas Hawkins followed with singles of their own.

William Teal hit an RBI single to score Harris, and Rouse and Bradley Floyd drew RBI walks.

Six Nationals batters got hits in the two-day game. Starling, Hawkins, Teal, Rouse, Ross Hixon and Harris notched hits for Troy.