PEKIN - Lexie Griffin had three hits and two RBIs, while both Avery Hamilton a had two hits and drove in three runs, Sydney Lawrence had two hits and two RBIs and Ryleigh Owens again threw a complete game, scattering six hits over six innings, walking one and striking out five at Edwardsville defeated Bradley-Bourbonnais 10-0 in a six inning, 10-run rule IHSA Class 4A sectional final Friday afternoon at the Pekin High School softball complex.

Lexie GriffinThe win puts the Tigers into the last eight and into the super-sectional game on Monday evening for the chance to advance to the state finals next weekend in Peoria.

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Edwardsville scored four times in both the third and fourth innings to take an 8-0 lead, then scored twice in the sixth to end the game early and send them into the super-sectional.

The Boilermakers started off the game with a double by Bella Pusateri, but Owens retired the next three batters in order to get out of the inning, then in the top of the second, Libby Spaulding drew a lead-off walk and Bri Melchor singled courtesy runner Brooklyn Billings to second. Kassidy Embry sacrificed both runners to second and third, with Owens getting out of the inning with a ground out to third by Liberty Rivard and a strikeout of Kiersten Martin to keep the game scoreless.

The Tigers got on the board in the home half of the third, starting with a one out walk to Zoie Boyd. Owens sacrificed Boyd to second and Hamilton singled home Boyd with a single to center to make it 1-0. A single by Syd Lane advanced Hamilton to second, where Griffin singled Hamilton home to make it 2-0 for Edwardsville, Lane going to third on the throw to the plate and Griffin taking second. Lawrence then doubled home both Land and courtesy runner Grace Blakemore to make it 4-0. A strikeout ended the inning.

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In the Edwardsville fourth, all happening after the first two batters were retired, Boyd drew a walk, Owens singled to put runners on first and second and a Hamilton double scored Boyd and courtesy runner Maddie Kolakowski to extend the Tiger lead to 6-0. Lane then singled home Hamilton, taking second on the throw and going to third on an error. Griffin then singled home Lane to put Edwardsville ahead 8-0.

The home half of the sixth started with Hamilton reaching on an error, but was forced on a grounder by Lane. Singles by both Griffin and Lawrence loaded the bases, with Lane scoring on an error by the right fielder, with Blakemore going to third. A Tatum Van Ryswyk sacrifice fly to center scored Blakemore with the game-ending run as the Tigers won 10-0 and advance.

Beside Griffin's, Hamilton's and Lawrence's days at the plate, Lane had two hits and a RBI, Owens and Boyd each had a hit and Van Ryswyk drove in a run. Pusateri, Ellie Haggard, Spaulding, Melchor, Embry and Martin all had the Boilermakers' hits.

Spaulding struck out six inside the circle for BBCHS, walking three.

BBCHS ends their season 23-10-1, while the Tigers are now 31-3 and move on to the Illinois Wesleyan University super-sectional game against West Aurora, who won the Yorkville sectional with a 2-0 win over Naperville Neuqua Valley, which will be played Monday afternoon at Carol Willis Park/Inspiration Field in a 4:30 p.m. start. The winner goes on to the state semifinals next Friday at Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria and plays in the second semifinal against the winner of Rosemont Stadium super between Chicago Whitney Young and St. Charles North, starting at 5:30 p.m.

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