MARION — Marion scored five runs in the first inning and added three more in the second then let pitching and defense do the rest to defeat Covina (CA) 9-2 in the second semifinal at the Colt World Series being played at Rent One Park.

Marion will face Brownsville (TX) in the championship game at 6:00 Tuesday. Brownsville upset top-seeded Greensboro (NC) 4-3 in the other semifinal.

Trey Cole (ZRC) hit a bases loaded triple then stole home to cap the first inning explosion for Marion. After Covina scored a run in the top of the second, Aidan Dodson (South Central) drove in a pair with single and then later scored on Owen Cornett’s (Du Quoin) RBI ground out.

Trey Reinberg (Nashville) gave up two runs in four innings, but ran into some trouble in the fifth. Parker Price (Eldorado) came on and got out of a bases loaded jam thanks to Peyton Bittle’s (Carterville) nifty double play to end the inning. Bittle, Cruz Harlan (Centralia), Dodson, and Cole all made sparkling plays defensively.

Price, who will miss the championship game because of knee surgery, struck out Aiden Trejo to end it, sending Marion to the title tilt.