The South Fort Myers 10-11 All-Star team lists seven players who have never lost in the state of Florida. Five Hancock players spent this season in the minor division.

In Friday night’s District 9 Little League 10-11 division championship game at Buckingham Park, that disparity showed. South jumped in front early. Hancock had almost nothing to counter with, resulting in a 10-0 victory that was ended in the bottom of the fourth inning by the mercy rule.

“Everyone played a great game. It took everyone,” South head coach Paul Moore said. “Even the kids off the bench didn’t let up.”

District champion South Fort Myers will play in sectionals starting Friday at Fleishman Park, where this group will continue its quest to win another state title.

South scored five runs in the first inning, taking advantage of numerous Hancock miscues, and got great pitching from Josh Ashby, who allowed just three hits in going the distance.

He also got great defense from shortstop Will Huckeby and third basemen Ben Specht and Juan Angeles, who each made plays to rob Hancock of base hits and completed double plays.

South effectively ended things in the first. Ashby walked with one out. Preston Moore reached on Donnie Goodman’s throwing error, sending Ashby to third.

A miscommunication between catcher Korey Besse and starting pitcher Brandon Zielinski led to a double steal and a run. Thinking Besse was throwing the ball to second base, Zielinski ducked as Besse threw the ball back to him and Ashby raced home with the first run.

Specht bunted prompting a wild throw to first, allowing Moore to score to make it 2-0.

Weston Perry singled to drive in a run. After Jake Munnings bunted him over, Blake Wheeler tripled to make it a 4-0 cushion.

Wheeler scored on a wild pitch ending the wild inning.

“The wheels came off in the first inning and we got them back on,” Hancock coach Kurt Donaldson said. “You have to bring your ‘A’ game against South.”

Daniella Iantosca singled and Will Huckeby walked in the second inning, ending Zielinski’s night on the mound. Goodman came in and, after Josh Ortiz stole home on another double steal, Ashby tripled. Moore’s RBI single upped the lead to 7-0.

South made it 9-0 on an triple by Ortiz and back-to-back RBI doubles by Kyle Rowley and Huckeby.

Munnings ended the scoring in the fourth with an RBI single.

Besse had two hits for Hancock, while Goodman added a double. Garrett Morgan made a great play defensively to turn a double play.

“They’re a very experienced team and we’re not. We had five players in minors and only 11 kids turned out for tryouts,” Donaldson said. “We feel fortunate to be here. We played great ball.”

Hancock 000 0 0 3 3

South FM 522 1 10 9 1

W – Ashby. L – Zielinski.

2B – Goodman (H), Rowley (SFM), Huckeby (SFM). 3B – Wheeler (SFM), Ashby (SFM), Ortiz (SFM).

In other games Friday night: Cape American earned a berth in the championship series of the Little League division after pounding Cape National 12-0 at Verdow Park. Cape National slips to 2-1 in pool play.

Hancock routed Pine Island 18-0 in pool play to even its record at 2-2.

In the 9-10 championship game, Cape American takes on South Fort Myers at 1 p.m. Saturday. If South wins, the teams play a second title game at noon Sunday. Both games are scheduled at Fleishman Park.