Marley Fox Throws Shutout and Drives in Lone Run As Tigers Advance To Softball Super-Sectional

BOURBONNAIS - Marley Fox, the senior softball pitching ace for Edwardsville, struck out three in a complete game in the circle, and won it for herself and the Tigers with a one-out sacrifice fly that scored Lily Stone with the only run of the game as Edwardsville won the IHSA Class 4A Bradley-Bourbonnais sectional 1-0 over East Moline United Friday afternoon at The Brickyard in Bourbonnais.

The Tigers go to the super-sectional quarterfinals for the first time since 2022, where Edwardsville won over West Aurora 11-5 en route to a third-place finish at state.

East Moline threatened in the opening inning, when Mea Johnson and Miah Berhenke led off the game with base hits. After a strikeout, Emily Stevens singled to load the bases, but Alysa Merrell grounded into a force play at the plate to shortstop, and Addison Mink popped out to short to end the threat.

The Tigers had their own threat in the bottom of the second, starting with a two-pitch walk to Maggie Bray, Sophie Antonini singled, and a walk to Amelia Wilfong to load the bases, but Brooke Burris flew to left to end the inning. Edwardsville had another chance in the fifth, when Burris led off with a single, but one out later, was forced at second on a grounder hit by Stone. Maksine Straub then singled, but a strikeout ended the threat.

Edwardsville tried again in the sixth, when Fox led off with a base hit, and was sacrificed to second by Bray. After a fly out, Wilfong singled Fox to third, but Burris lined out to left to end the inning.

The Tigers broke through in the seventh, all with one out. Stone, Straub and Lily Maxwell all singled to load the bases, and on the first pitch to her, Fox lifted a fly ball to right, which was caught. Stone tagged up and beat the throw to the plate for the run that gave the Tigers the win 1-0.

Fox had two hits and the game's only RBI for Edwardsville, while both Bryar Ellinger and Straub had two hits each, and Burris, Stone, Maxwell, Antonini, and Wilfong all had hits in the game. Fox faced little trouble after getting out of the first inning jam, allowing only one more hit, as she scattered four hits and did not allow a run in a complete game inside the circle, earning the win, while walking one and striking out three.

The Panthers end their season at 27-8, while the Tigers go to 29-9, and advance to the Illinois Wesleyan University super-sectional/state quarterfinal game against New Lenox Lincoln-Way West, who won their own sectional by defeating Lockport Township 2-1. The game is set to start at 6:30 p.m., with the winner going to the state finals at the Louisville Slugger Complex in Peoria, where the winner faces the winner of The Ballpark of Rosemont 2 super-sectional, either Chicago Taft, Chicago Lane Tech, or Mundelein in the first state semifinal game on June 5 at 2:30 p.m. The third-place game is set for June 6 at 12:15 p.m., with the state final starting at 4:45 p.m.

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