Fox Retires Nine Straight After Lead-Off Hit, Tigers Win Over Flyers 18-0

Stone smashes home run, has two hits, three RBIs, Werden drives in four runs for Tigers.

Colin Feeney, Contributing Sports Writer

May 13, 2026 12:45 PM May 13, 2026 5:23 PM

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Marley Fox.

EDWARDSVILLE - Lily Stone had a home run among her two hits and three RBIs, while Remi Werden drove home four runs, and pitcher Marley Fox retired nine straight after allowing a lead-off single as Edwardsville scored eight runs in the first, going on to an 18-0 Southwestern Conference softball win over East St. Louis. It was the Tigers girls' softball home finale Tuesday afternoon at the Edwardsville District 7 Sports Complex.

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The Tigers went to 10-1 in the Southwestern Conference, and remained a half-game ahead of Belleville East, which went to 9-1 with a win over Alton on Tuesday, 12-4, with the Lancers having one game in hand. An Edwardsville win at O'Fallon on Thursday clinches a tie for the title with the Lancers.

Khayla Walker led off the game for the Flyers with a fly ball that dropped for a single, but that would be all East Side would get, as Edwardsville pitching retired the next 12 batters in a row. In the Tiger first, Brooke Burris led off with a walk, went to third on a Sophie Antonini base hit, then Stone homered over the fence in center, Burris and Antonini scoring ahead of her to make it 3-0 for Edwardsville.

Then Maggie Bray reached on an error, Amelia Wilfong and Audrey De La Torre Cruz drew walks to load the bases, but Bray was forced at the plate on a grounder hit back to the box by Marissa Wiley. Fox then helped herself with a two-RBI single to left, scoring both Wilfong and De La Torre Cruz, and sending Wiley to third, with Fox going to second on a throw to the plate. Werden singled home two runs, and Burns doubled home Werden to give Edwardsville an 8-0 lead lead before the inning ended.

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Stone led off the Edwardsville second with a triple to center, the scored on an RBI double by Bray to make it 9-0. Wilfong drew a walk, and Wiley reached on an error one out later, with Bray scoring and Wilfong going to third, with the Tigers going ahead 10-0. Fox walked to load the bases, while Werden and Maksine Straub drew walks to force home two more runs, and Bryar Ellinger singled home Werden to make the score 13-0 for Edwardsville.

Emily Grandone drew a walk to start the Tigers' third, with Wiley doubling her home one out later to increase the lead to 14-0. Fox singled Wiley to third and scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Werden to up the lead to 15-0. An RBI single by Straub scored courtesy runner Stone to make it 16-0, Ellinger singled home Stone, in as a courtesy runner for Fox, with Ellinger going to second, and Savanna Lewis singled home the final two runs to make it 18-0. Makaela Pippins retired the side to end the game, due to the 15-run rule, to give Edwardsville the win.

Stone had two hits, including her homer, and three RBIs to lead the Tigers, while Fox had two hits and two RBIs, Ellinger had two hits and an RBI, Werden had a hit and drove home four runs, Straub, Lewis, and Wiley all had a hit and two RBIs, Burris and Bray both came up with a hit and RBI each, and Antonini had a hit. Fox went for three innings in the circle and was credited with the win, allowing no runs on one hit, walking none, and striking out seven. Pippins pitched the fourth inning, allowing no hits or runs, walking none, and fanning one.

Walker had the only hit for the Flyers, while Oleah Brown pitched a complete game in the circle and was charged with the loss, going for three innings and giving up 18 runs, 15 earned, on 13 hits, walking nine and striking out one.

Edwardsville is now 24-9, and concludes its regular season on Thursday at O'Fallon at 4:30 p.m., then opens the IHSA Class 4A playoffs against Granite City at O'Fallon next Tuesday at 4 p.m. A win puts the Tigers into the final against either the host Panthers or Springfield on May 22 at 4 p.m.

The Flyers are now 1-18, and conclude their regular season at Belleville East on Thursday and are at O'Fallon on Friday, both games starting at 4:30 p.m. East Side opens its Class 3A playoff quest in the Marion regional May 18 against Centralia at 4 p.m. The winner meets either the host Wildcats or Carbondale in the final on May 22, also at 4 p.m.

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