Abilene, Texas' Ella Bruning connects for an RBI single against Sammamish, Wash., during the sixth inning of a Little League World Series game in South Williamsport. She is the only girl playing in this year's tournament.

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT — Ella Bruning has become the person everyone wants to talk to in South Williamsport this week.

The starting catcher for the Wylie Little League team from Abilene, Texas, is the 20th female to play in the Little League World Series and the only girl to compete in this year’s tournament. She can hit, pitch, steal bases and take a foul ball off the knee.

In Texas’s 6-0 win over Washington on Friday, she stole second, scored the first run and led the team with two hits and an RBI, becoming just the third girl to have a multi-hit game in the LLWS.

“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 role model for girls everywhere.”

Baseball is a family affair in the Bruning household. Ella’s father, Bryan, has coached his children for over 10 years and is an assistant on the Abilene squad. Her younger brother, Dillon, is an outfielder and second baseman for the team. Their older brother, Collin, sits in the stands and cheers, admittedly jealous that his teams missed out on this opportunity a few years ago.

Ella’s baseball story began with shagging batting practice balls in the outfield for Collin’s team when she was 7 years old.