Briefly: Bell City baseball team run-rules Northwest to advance to Class 1 championship

The Bell City baseball team capitalized off seven Northwest (Hughesville) errors in its Class 1 state semifinal at TR Hughes Ballpark in O'Fallon, Missouri, on Tuesday to advance to the state championship game for the first time in program history.

The Cubs defeated Northwest 11-1 in a game that ended in the bottom of the sixth inning after Bell City scored twice in the frame to run-rule the Mustangs.

Third baseman Nate Finney and first baseman Tyler Evans each went 3 for 3 in the victory. Bell City recorded 10 hits and did not commit an error in the game.

Finney drove in the first run of the game in the bottom of the first inning and the Cubs never trailed. They held leads of 4-0 and 6-0 before the Mustangs scored their lone run in the top of the fourth inning to cut the Cubs' lead to 6-1.

Bell City added three more runs in the bottom of the fourth and a couple in the sixth.

Hicks improved to 9-0 with the win. He struck out seven and did not walk a batter.

Bell City (24-3) will play the winner of a semifinal between Hurley and Atlanta at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.