Messenger photo by Britt Kudla Taylor Hogan of Waterloo Columbus slides against Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont on Monday at Rogers Park. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

Ninth-ranked Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont’s pursuit of a second appearance in the Class 2A state championship game in the last four years got off to a good start on Diamond 2 at Rogers Sports Complex on Monday afternoon.

The Rockets’ offense came alive in the seventh inning and pitcher Randie Richmond had a fairly stress-free day in a 7-2 victory over fifth-ranked Waterloo Columbus Catholic in a state quarterfinal.

Leading 1-0 after six frames, EBF (31-8) sent nine batters to the plate and scored six runs in the seventh to put the contest out of reach. Limited to just two hits until the bottom of the seventh, the Sailors (34-6) ended Richmond’s shutout bid in their final at bat.

“We wanted to beat them and show Fort Dodge that EBF is here,” Richmond said after tossing a five-hitter with three strikeouts. “We’re coming back for one goal now. We had it taken away from us in 2014 and that’s what we’re aiming for now is a state championship. So every team better be ready.”

Taryn Swartz went 3 for 4 with a triple and two runs scored at the top of the Rockets’ order. She took a Kayla Sproul fastball the other way and into the gap in right-center in the third inning and beat the relay throw to third. The ball got by Columbus, which allowed Swartz to sprit home with the game’s first run.

“That definitely took the pressure off,” Swartz said. “We were kind of nervous and you could tell, but getting that run on the board really settled me and the team down.”

EBF rattled off six of its 13 hits in the seventh. Haegen Boyer and Darian Johnson both belted two-RBI doubles and Claire Jager blistered a shot back up the middle to plate two more.

Jager also went 3 for 4 with a double. Richmond and Reina Taylor added two hits each in the win.

EBF will face third-ranked Interstate 35 (27-4) in a state semifinal Thursday at 5 p.m. Columbus will square off against 10th-ranked Central Springs (29-5) in a consolation semifinal Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Eddyville-Blakesburg-Freemont 7,

Waterloo Columbus 2

EBF 001 000 6–7 13 0

Wat Columbus 000 000 2 — 2 5 1

Randie Richmond and Claire Jager. Kayla Sproul and Sydney Schultz. W — Richmond. L — Sproul. 2B — EBF: Jager, Haegen Boyer, Darian Johnson; WC: Schultz. 3B — EBF: Taryn Swartz. RBI — EBF: Hoyer (2), Jager (2), Johnson (2); WC: Sproul, Maliyah Little.