ACCIDENT — It was a day of dominant pitching and explosive offense across the region, as No. 5 Frankfort stunned No. 4 Northern with a late-inning surge, No. 3 Keyser put on a power display, and Southern swept a doubleheader.

In the marquee matchup, Peyton Kimble delivered a masterclass on the mound for Frankfort. The Falcons' ace went the distance, allowing just two runs on five hits while striking out 10 and walking three over seven innings. But it was Frankfort's bats that stole the show in the seventh, erupting for five runs on six hits to turn a tight game into an 8-2 rout. Jordan-Marie Owens led the charge with three singles, while Addyson Merritt drove in two runs with a double and a single. Claire Westfall added two hits, and Dayahna Imes chipped in with a pair of RBIs. For Northern, Rain Ritchey took the loss despite striking out five over six innings, and also went 2-for-3 at the plate with a double and two RBIs. The Huskies, who earned the No. 2 seed, now have a bye to the Class 1A West Region I semifinals next week.

Meanwhile, in Keyser, the Golden Tornado put on a fireworks show, blasting five home runs in a four-inning rout of Berkeley Springs. The game was essentially over after the first inning, when Keyser scored 10 runs, highlighted by Bibs Felton's two homers—including a three-run shot that set up back-to-back jacks with Brielle Root. Sophie Lambka added a three-run bomb in the third, and Mady McIntyre ended the game early with a walk-off grand slam in the fourth. McIntyre was a triple shy of the cycle, also adding a double and a triple, while Suzy Cosenza had a triple and a double. On the mound, McIntyre earned the win, allowing two runs on two hits in three innings. Keyser improved to 18-4 and will face winless Hampshire on Thursday.

In Oakland, Southern swept a doubleheader against Preston, showing resilience in both games. The Rams jumped ahead early in Game 1, with Adeline Wilson scoring the go-ahead run in the third after a leadoff double. Southern added three runs in the fourth and two more in the sixth, powered by Wilson's home run and Halee Bruckey's key hits. Wilson also earned the win in relief, throwing four shutout innings of two-hit ball. The Rams' pitching duo of Bruckey and Wilson combined for eight strikeouts and allowed just four hits. The sweep moves Southern to 9-11 on the season, giving them momentum as they head into the final stretch.