EDWARDSVILLE — Aubry Dickmann doubled and later scored on a passed ball in the ninth inning as the Edwardsville Tigers outlasted the O'Fallon Panthers 9-8 Thursday in the Class 4A Edwardsville Softball Sectional.

In an epic see-saw battle eerily similar to the 15-inning slugfest the two teams played earlier this season, the two teams combined for 29 hits.

O'Fallon's 15-10, 15-inning win over Edwardsville lasted more than four hours on April 19 at the Edwardsville Sports Complex.

This time, the game lasted two hours, 54 minutes.

The Tigers trailed 5-1 after three innings, but rallied back.

The Panthers rallied with two outs in both the seventh and eighth innings to tie the score.

Edwardsville catcher Kendall Navin belted a two-run homer to right field in the top of the eighth inning, but Panthers scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth on a two-out double by Taylor Bowlby.

Dickmann doubled down the left-field line to lead off the ninth for the Tigers. She went to third on a throwing error on a grounder to third base by Carly Weimer and scored on a passed ball with Olivia Nicholls at the plate.

The Panthers tried to force one more comeback in the bottom of the ninth as Molly Dumstorff was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a wild pitch.

The Tigers turned a 1-3-5 double play on a grounder back to the mound.

Freshman pitcher Kallen Loveless worked eight of the nine innings for the Tigers. She got a one-inning respite to composure herself in the fourth inning as Amber Toenyes worked one scoreless inning.

The Tigers (33-3) won their 13th straight game. They'll play either Moline (27-10) or Joliet West (18-17) at 11 a.m. Saturday in the championship game of the Edwardsville Sectional.

The Panthers ended their season at 30-7.

Contact reporter Steve Korte at skorte@bnd.com or 239-2522.