Timely hitting and the tough performance of pitcher Abby Wells spelled the difference for Niagara.

“Great team win for the girls,” Niagara coach Brad Richtig said. “Good start to the tournament. Green Bay N.E.W is a solid team.”

In the bottom of the first, Emma Broullire ripped a two-run single that scored Wells and Abigail Richtig to put the No. 4 seeded Lady Badgers up 2-0.

Niagara doubled its lead in the third on two walks, a wild pitch, a hit-batsmen and an RBI bunt single by Mallory Sanicki.

Niagara infielder Lillian Loukus rushes over to get in position to receive a throw and potentially cut down a Blazer baserunner in the Lady Badgers’ 10-3 win over Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran/Providence on Tuesday in Niagara. (Dennis Mansfield/Daily News photo)

The Lady Badgers continued their attack in the fourth with three runs. Josie Learned led off with a deep triple to center before Beauden Anderson drove her in with a single. Aiva Champeau sacrificed in a run before Lillian Loukus drove in a run with a single to center to put Niagara ahead 7-0.

The fifth-seeded Blazers threatened to make a game of it in the top of the fifth when they scored three runs. But Wells worked through some control issues in that inning and never led the visitors back into the game.

Niagara salted the victory away when Richtig drilled a 2-run single in the bottom of the sixth.

“When we put the ball in play good things happen, and we did that tonight,” Coach Richtig said. “We laid down some really nice bunts to move runners into scoring position and then some timely hits for us certainly helped.”

Wells went the distance for the Lady Badgers, allowing just one hit. The lefty worked up in the zone early and then worked the corners later in the contest as well.

Lady Badger Mallory Sanicki (6) puts down a bunt during the WIAA Division 5 softball regional semifinal in Niagara on Tuesday. Niagara batters had a productive day, with the home team holding a 7-0 advantage at one point of the girls varsity softball clash. (Dennis Mansfield/Daily News photo)

Wells finished with 11 strikeouts and seven walks in her victory.

With the win, the Lady Badgers are scheduled to travel to top-seeded Sevastopol for the regional final today. The Pioneers advanced with a 10-0 five-inning victory over No. 8 Goodman-Pembine on Tuesday.

“They are the No. 1 seed in our regional for a reason,” Coach Richtig said of Sevastopol. “We will have to play mistake-free against them and continue putting the ball in play and try and put some pressure on them.”