WATERFORD — The bats came back to life for the St. Marys Minor League Baseball All-Stars on Wednesday night in their winner-take-all Section 1 championship game against French Creek Valley.

After opening the sectional tournament with a pair of big wins — scoring 13 in their opener against French Creek and 10 in the winners’ final against Butler Township — the St. Marys sticks were stymied as they were blanked in Tuesday’s championship game, a rematch with French Creek Valley.

Having earned the king’s seat, though, Tuesday’s loss only meant the teams had to play again on Wednesday for a winner-take-all with a trip to states on the line, and in that game, St. Marys erupted for 10 runs in the second inning on their way to another big win — 12-1 after three-and-a-half, as St. Marys never needed to hit in the fourth to enact the 10-run rule.

While the offense was piling up the runs, St. Marys pitcher Chase Smith went all four innings, pitching a no-hitter and allowing just one run on four walks, while striking out 10.

Mason Reigel led the offense with a pair of hits and three RBIs, with Jaxson Simbeck adding two hits and one RBI and Asher Pistner and Dylan Bauer each recording a hit and driving in a pair of runs.

Chase Smith, Maddex Vogt and Chayse Bish each had one hit and one RBI, and Dax Newell added a single to round out a team total of 10 hits. Bentley Chiesa and Grady Sherry each also walked in both of their plate appearances.

Smith set the side down in order in the top of the first with a groundout and two strikeouts, then his team got one run in the home half to take the lead thanks to a one-out single to center by Newell, a wild pitch that moved him to second and a two-out RBI single to right by Reigel that plated him and made it 1-0.

In the top of the second, French Creek got its only run thanks to four consecutive walks — the only four walks Smith gave up — to tie the game at 1-1. Smith settled in from there, though, and struck out the next three hitters he faced to strand all three remaining runners and keep the tie intact.

With that, St. Marys’ sticks really came to life — with the help of a few free passes, as well — as they scored their 10 runs in the second as a result of seven hits and four walks to push the lead to 11-1.

Simbeck singled to open the inning, and after Carson Chiodo and Chiesa walked to load the bases, Bauer singled to right to plate a pair of runs and make it 3-1. Another walk to Sherry loaded them again, and after Sherry scampered home on a wild pitch, Chase Smith singled to short to plate Vogt and push the lead to 6-1.

The rest of the action came with two outs, as Jude Smith walked, then Reigel doubled home two runs on a rip to center, followed by a two-RBI triple, also to center, by Pistner and an RBI single up the middle by Simbeck that made it 11-1.

Smith then set down the side in order again in the third on a pair of strikeouts and a grounder, and St. Marys added one insurance run in the bottom half as a result of a leadoff walk to Chiesa, a walk to Sherry and a two-out RBI single to the right side by Bish, making it 12-1.

All that was required to wrap it up was three outs, and Smith gave his team those three in style by striking out the side in order in the top of the fourth to make sure the double-digit lead stuck for the 12-1 mercy-rule victory.

The St. Marys squad will have a few days to prepare for the Pennsylvania Little League Baseball 8-10 Year Old Baseball State Tournament, which is set to begin on Monday (July 27) and is being hosted by Upper Providence Little League in Phoenixville, Pa.

As the Section 1 champion, the current bracket — which is subject to change — shows St. Marys set to square off with the Section 8 champ at 7 p.m. on the first night of the tournament. The tournament is scheduled to wrap up on Saturday, Aug. 1, or the following day if the if-necessary game were to be needed to settle it.