MARYVILLE, Mo. - Fatima's going to party like it's 1996.
The Comets are headed to the Final Four for the first time in 17 years after beating Maryville 7-2 on Wednesday night in a Class 3 state quarterfinal.
Fatima got things started early, putting two runs on the board in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single from Patrick Schnieders and a run on the back end of a double steal.
Fatima stretched it to a 5-0 advantage with three runs in the bottom of the third. Ryan Mebruer, Logan Vogel and Sam Hager had RBI base hits in the frame.
Maryville got a run back in the top of the fourth, which ended a string of 24 scoreless innings over four postseason games for Fatima.
The Comets responded with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth to go up 7-1. Schnieders had a sacrifice fly to plate a run and Mebruer added an RBI double.
Maryville managed to scratch a run across in the sixth, but that's as close as the Spoofhounds could get.
Seth Lehmen picked up the win for Fatima by tossing a complete game. The senior right-hander allowed eight hits and struck out five in a 91-pitch outing.
Hager collected three hits to lead Fatima's 11-hit attack. Bax had two hits and two RBI and Mebruer had two hits.
Maryville ends its season at 6-11.
Fatima (21-5) will face Hallsville (14-11) in the semifinals at 7 p.m. Wednesday at T.R. Hughes Ballpark in O'Fallon. The Comets won an earlier meeting this season 13-3.
Fatima would then either play in the championship at 1 p.m. Thursday or third-place game at 10 a.m.