MARION — The Marion Wildcats won their second straight softball regional championship, beating South 7 rival Carbondale in walk-off fashion by the final of 3-2. Abby Sherrard hit a hot smash that got through the infield and chased home pinch runner Brianna Reid with regional winning run.

Marion handily swept the two regular season games with the Terriers, but the regional championship game was much different.

Carbondale jumped on top with a home run by Emma Kellerman to lead off the top of the fourth inning. The Wildcats answered in the bottom half of the same inning as Sherrard clubbed a two-run homer to put Marion up 2-1.

The Terriers tied in the fifth on Arwen Robinson’s RBI double that scored Ellas Karayiannis.

Still tied 2-2, Carbondale loaded the bases in the top of the seventh, but Marion starter Cam Harre got Jasmine Martin to fly out to right field to end the threat, setting up Sherrard’s heroics in the bottom half of the inning.

Marion advances to next week’s Centralia Sectional. The Wildcats will face Triad Tuesday. Mt. Vernon will take on either Waterloo or Highland in the second semifinal Wednesday.