Fourth-seeded West Franklin tallied eight runs in the third inning en route to a 14-4 victory over Girard on Tuesday in a Class 3A softball regional semifinal game in Pomona.

Girard (8-16) pulled into a 2-2 tie in the top of the second as Jaycie Geier’s single and Quinn Poland’s groundout each scored a run.

But the Falcons (16-7) regained the lead with their big third inning, highlighted by Sophia Steele’s two-run single and Amelia Nichols’ two-run double.

The Trojans scored their last two runs in the fifth on a double by Maddie Coester and single by Jazmyn Kaufman.

Girard’s other four hits were singles by Autumn Avery, Brilee Black and Addison Bowman.

Jaycie Geier pitched the first three innings for Girard, and Black worked the final three innings.

Zoe Dowd went 3-for-3 with a two-run home run to center field in the first and a run-scoring single in the third. Nichols also had a two-run single in the sixth, finishing with two hits and four RBI, and Berekley Love went 3-for-4.

Dowd also was the winning pitcher, striking out six batters and walking six.

The Falcons advance to the regional semifinals and will play fifth-seeded Wellsville (15-7) at 3 p.m. Thursday in Frontenac. The top-seeded Raiders (19-4) face eighth-seeded Iola (11-13) in the second game, and the two winners square off for a spot in next week’s state tournament quarterfinal round.

Girard 020 020 – 4 6 1

W. Franklin 208 004 – 14 15 1

Jaycie Geier, Brilee Black (4) and Jazmyn Kaufman; Zoe Dowd and Taylee McArthur. 2B—Girard: Maddie Coester; WF: Amelia Nichols. HR—WF: Dowd.