Kinley Rasmus shining in Little League Baseball World Series

Record-setting performance

Kinley Rasmus, a 12-year-old pitcher and shortstop from Phenix City, Alabama, has been on a record-setting run at the Little League World Series. On Tuesday, she had a pair of hits in a 4-2 comeback win over a team from Tacoma, Washington, helping her Southeast team advance in the double-elimination tournament. That brought her total to five hits in the tournament, the most by a girl in the event's history, a mark set on Tuesday. She is the daughter of former major league pitcher Cory Rasmus and the niece of Colby Rasmus, but her play has overshadowed the family name, as MLB News noted she's 'proving her talent speaks for itself.'

Pitching dominance

Rasmus has also been effective on the mound. Earlier in the tournament, she allowed just one hit over six innings against the same Tacoma team, striking out eight, which tied Mo'Ne Davis' record for strikeouts by a girl in a game. She added six more strikeouts in a victory on Monday to raise her tournament total to 14, tying Davis's own record in Little League World Series history, as reported by both The Associated Press and the Salt Lake City Deseret News.

Rasmus has pitched 10 2/3 scoreless innings, and she is one of only nine girls ever to pitch in the series.

Historical context

The Little League World Series has seen 26 girls play since its first entry in 1947. Rasmus is the ninth to pitch. She is also the first girl in tournament history with an extra-base hit, and the fifth overall with a multi-hit game, according to the Salt Lake City Deseret News.

Family ties and personal flair

Baseball runs in Rasmus' family. Her father, Cory, pitched 84 games for the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Angels, while her uncle Colby played 10 seasons in the major leagues. Her mother, Jill, played softball at Gulf Coast Community College, and her uncle Jeff Mathis played in the MLB for 17 seasons, according to the Salt Lake City Deseret News.

She wears a white bow in her hair every game, a habit she says she's had since she was a little girl. "It has become something I had to wear every game for good luck," she told the Columbus Ledger-Examiner. Fans have coined the catchphrase 'Fear the bow' in reference to her signature accessory, and she has drawn attention on social media with each appearance.

Upcoming games

Phenix City will face another elimination on Wednesday. Rasmus, who pitched on Monday, is unavailable to pitch Tuesday but can still help with her bat. The team played Northwest on Tuesday, as mentioned by the Salt Lake City Deseret News.

Rasmus's performance has been part of a tournament that also has her fellow girl player Carsynn Meyer from Henderson, Nevada. The 2026 edition is only the fourth in which two girls have played, according to MLB News.