EDWARDSBURG— A two-run fourth inning was all host Edwardsburg needed Saturday afternoon as it blanked Dowagiac 3-0 in the championship game of the Eddies Invitational.

The Eddies reached the championship game with a 13-1 win over Vicksburg. The Chieftains edged the Bulldogs 5-3 on a three-run home run by Kiele Belew in seventh inning of the second reound of play.

Edwardsburg scored a pair of runs in the fourth inning thanks to an error by Dowagiac.

Brittany Hurst got the winning rally started with a single to right field. Kaley Frank then laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Hurst into scoring position. Emily Shoupe singled to center to move Hurst to third and took second on the throw.

Maddi Holmes drew a walk to load the bases and set the stage for the dramatic final play of the inning.

Kara Spencer hit a one-hopper back to Dowagiac pitcher Tara Sova, who flipped the ball home to force out Hurst. Chieftain catcher Devon Ownby tried to complete the double play by going to first where Spencer was safe on a fielder’s choice.

Shoupe continued around third and headed home. The throw from Dowagiac first baseman Belew arrived at the plate in plenty of time to tag out Shoupe, but the ball got away from Ownby allowing both Shoupe and Holmes to score.

Spencer was thrown out at third to end the inning.

Edwardsburg added an insurance run in the top of the seventh when Teryn Williams reached on an error and would score following a walk and a single by Hurst.

In the opening game of the tournament, both teams scored a run in the first inning, but the Eddies then scored five runs over the next two innings to open up a 6-1 lead. The lead reached 10-1 when Edwardsburg scored four times in the fifth and then capped the scoring with a three-run seventh inning.

Victoria Hurst and Frank both had three hits, with Hurst slugging her fourth home run of the week. Nicole Brooks and Williams each had two hits, with Williams picking up a double.

Andrea LaPlace scattered five hits and struck out five to earn the victory.

Both Dowagiac and Vicksburg scored two runs in the fifth inning of the second round contest.

An inning later, Dowagiac got a three-run home run from Belew as the Chieftains took a 5-2 lead in the top half of the seventh.

Vicksburg scored a run in the bottom of the seventh, but could not manufacture any more offense.

The Bulldogs outhit Dowagiac 9-6, but Miranda East struck out five and earned the win.

Kristyn Turner had two of the Chieftains’ six hits.

Eddies Invitational

Championship game

Edwardsburg 000 200 1 – 3 7 1

Dowagiac 000 000 0 – 0 1 3

Andrea LaPlace (W) and Kaley Frank

Tara Sova (L) and Devon Ownby

2B: Victoria Hurst (E)

First round

Edwardsburg 123 040 3 – 13 12 1

Vicksburg 100 000 0 – 1 5 6

Andrea LaPlace (W) and Kaley Frank

Audrey Jenson (L)

2B: Teryn Williams (E), Anna Sponseller (V)

HR: Victoria Hurst

Second round

Dowagiac 000 020 3 – 5 6 0

Vicksburg 000 020 1 – 3 9 3

Miranda East (W) and Devon Ownby

2B: Savannah Johnson (V), Anna Sponseller

HR: Jenna Fort (V), Kiele Belew (D)