ST. MARYS — Trailing 2-0 after three innings, the visiting Brookville Junior League All-Star softball team scored five unanswered runs and eliminated St. Marys with a 5-2 win at Benzinger Park Tuesday night.
Avenging a 14-9 opening-round loss at St. Marys last Thursday, Brookville won its third straight elimination game and advanced to the District 10 Championship game against unbeaten DuBois at Heindl Field Thursday at 6 p.m.
Brookville needs to beat DuBois twice with the “if necessary” game to follow on Thursday.
Brookville scored a run in the fourth, two in the fifth and added two insurance runs in the seventh. In the fourth, Whitney Sunealitis singled with two outs, then came around to score on three wild pitches.
In the fifth, Avery Crooks tripled and scored when Ainsley Blake reached on an error. Ava Nixon singled and Brynn Blake reached on an error to load the bases. With two outs, Abby Kalgren reached on another St. Marys error that scored Ainsley Blake to put Brookville up 3-2.
Two runs in the seventh put Brookville up by the final score. Palynn Lindermuth started with an inside-the-park home run. Avery Crooks walked and scored with two outs when Brynn Blake reached on St. Marys’ sixth error of the game.
Brookville out-hit St. Marys, 5-4 with Nixon singling twice for the team’s lone multi-hit player.
Lindermuth got the win in the circle, giving up four hits while walking two and striking out eight.
St. Marys, which finished all-star play at 1-2, got two singles from Miami Washburn. Laynee Walker took the loss in the circle, striking out 10 and walking two while giving up five hits.