PRINCETON – Kewanee’s “Comeback Kids” did it again.

The Boilermakers scored two runs in the sixth inning and came back with two more in the seventh, capped by a walk-off hit by freshman Kalleigh Gale, for a 4-3 win over Bureau Valley in Wednesday’s Class 2A Princeton Regional semifinals.

“We had the right people up at the end,” Kewanee coach Rob Weston said. “We had senior, senior, senior, and then the most mature freshman you’ll ever see. I’ve been calling them ‘Comeback Kids’ all year long. They’ve done this before.

“Super proud of them.”

Gale, who was the winning pitcher with four scoreless innings in relief, was happy to come through in the clutch.

“It feels amazing. Just having my seniors on base and getting them in, it felt so good,” she said. “We knew that we had to get out and hit, and we were just able to do it.”

It was a stunning defeat for the Storm (14-13).

“Game away from the regional championship game. That’s what we had our sights on. We liked our chances here tonight, fell short in the end,” BV coach Greg Sayler said.

The Boilermakers (16-7) will meet top seed Rockridge (32-1), the two-time defending state champions, in Friday’s championship game at 4:30 p.m. at Little Siberia. The Rockets beat Princeton 13-0 on Tuesday.

“They’re no joke. They were sixth in the nation at one time, I think. We’ve just got to play our game. Make no mistakes and give them a run,” Weston said.

Bureau Valley sophomore pitcher Madison Smith gave herself a 2-0 lead in the top of the first with a two-run home run on a 2-2 count after a leadoff hit by Lesleigh Maynard.

In the second inning, Olivia Eckberg stroked a leadoff double to left, took third on a sacrifice bunt by Emma Stabler, and scored on an infield hit by Maynard to put the Storm up 3-0.

Smith pitched out of two-on, two-out jams in the second and third innings, and retired the side in order in the fourth and fifth.

Then came the sixth inning. It started innocently enough, as Smith retired the first Kewanee batter, but two Storm errors opened the floodgates.

Tori Dennison singled in one run, scoring Ava LaFollette. Hope Peed raced home from third on a passed ball to make it 3-2 before Smith popped up Cheyanne Rodgers to end the inning.

Gale, who relieved starter Makeala Salisbury in the fourth, struck out the side in the top of the seventh to set the stage for the Boilermakers’ comeback in the home half.

Marissa Stevens drew a leadoff walk, Salisbury singled, and McKensey Stontz followed with an RBI single to left to tie the game at 3.

The freshman Gale showed few effects from the pressure, smashing a deep drive to the left-field fence for a single as Salisbury waltzed home for the winning run.

“I feel like when I pitch I’m extra confident, because I’ve got a good defense behind me. So I feel like our defense really carries into our offense,” Gale said.

“I thought Maddy pitched a heck of a game. Then the errors, it kind of unraveled. Then we knew they had the top of the order coming up,” Sayler said. “[Kewanee’s] leadoff got on, and then it kind of went downhill from there.”

Smith allowed four runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out seven.

Maynard went 4 for 4 to lead the Storm, with Smith, who added a fourth-inning double, and battery-mate Emily Wright adding two hits each.

Gale, who led Kewanee with three hits, said the Boilermakers are ready for the challenge to face mighty Rockridge.

“I’m really excited. I can’t wait,” she said. “We’re going to need to start hitting early rather than wait until the last inning to start out.”