Burris Leads With Two Hits, Three RBIs, Fox Goes All The Way In Circle, Fans Four, Tigers Advance To Sectional Final With 9-5 Win Over East

Trailing 3-0 early, the Tigers answered with timely power and steady pitching to earn a 9-5 win and move one step closer to the Class 4A postseason spotlight.

Colin Feeney, Contributing Sports Writer

May 27, 2026 10:50 AM

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BELLEVILLE – Brooke Burris led the way with two hits and three RBIs, while Marley Fox pitched well, striking out four in a complete game inside the circle, as Edwardsville came back from an early 3-0 deficit to win over Belleville East 9-5 in the IHSA Class 4A Branley-Bourbonnais sectional semifinal Tuesday afternoon, May 26, 2026, at Belleville West High.

The Tigers advance to the last 16 and will face the winner of the host Boilermakers or East Moline United, tentatively scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. in the final.

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The Lancers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the second, as both Sabrina Balloni and Ary Kohler led off with singles, putting runners on the corners. Kohler stole second, and one out later, Ashlyn Willis singled home Balloni to give East a 1-0 lead. Back-to-back doubles by Ryleigh Ochab and Abi Monroe scored two more runs to give the Lancers a 3-0 lead before the side was retired.

The Tigers fought back in the bottom of the second, as, with one out, Lily Maxwell drew a walk, but was forced on second by Fox. Camilla Zurliene came in as a courtesy runner for Fox and immediately scored on a double to center by Bryar Ellinger. Amelia Wilfong reached on an error that allowed Ellinger to score and cut the East lead to 3-2.

The Tigers went ahead in the fourth, starting with a one-out walk to Remi Werden, who went to second when Ellinger reached on a dropped fly ball in left field. One out later, Burris hit a liner over the fence in right for a three-run homer, scoring Ellinger and Wilfong ahead of her to give Edwardsville its first lead, 5-3.

The Lancers tied things up in the fifth, starting when Monroe reached on an error with one out, then Addie Kramkowski singled Monroe to third. Zoe Peters came up with a two-run single that scored both Monroe and Kramkowski to tie the game up at 5-5. A single by Balloni furthered the threat, but a strikeout ended the inning.

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The Tigers went ahead for good in the bottom of the fifth, starting when Lily Stone was hit by a pitch, then went to third on a fly out by Maksine Straub. A ground out by Maggie Bray brought in Stone to give Edwardsville a 6-5 lead, and Maxwell got things started all over with a base hit. Fox then helped herself with a two-run homer over the left field fence, with Stone also scoring to give Edwardsville an 8-5 lead.

Ellinger then singled, Wilfong drew a walk, and Burris was intentionally walked to load the bases, but Savanna Lewis drew a walk to force home Burris and make the score 9-5 for the Tigers.

Fox did run into a spot of trouble in the sixth, but pitched out of it, then retired the side in the seventh to give Edwardsville the 9-5 win and a place in the last 16.

Burris led the way with her two hits, including her homer, and three RBIs, while Ellinger had two hits and an RBI, Fox’s two-run shot in the pivotal fifth inning was her only hit and two RBIs on the day. Bray had a hit and RBI Sophie Antonini, Straub, and Maxwell each had a hit, and Lewis drove in a run. Fox went all the way in the circle, giving up five runs, four earned on 10 hits, walking two, and striking out four.

The Lancers end their season at 29-7, while the Tigers go to 28-9 and face the winner of Wednesday's game between Bradley-Bourbonnais and East Moline United in the sectional final at The Brickyard in Bourbonnais, tentatively set for Saturday at 1 p.m. The winner plays in the Illinois Wesleyan University super-sectional quarterfinal game against either New Lenox Lincoln-Way West or Lockport Township on June 1 at 6:30 p.m.

The super-sectional winner goes to the state finals June 5-6 at the Louisville Slugger Complex in Peoria, the state semifinal being played June 5 at 2:30 p.m., the third-place game being played on June 6 at 12:15 p.m., and the state final starting at 4:45 p.m.