St. Aloysius tuned up for Tuesday’s division showdown with Madison-St. Joseph by beating McComb 5-1 Saturday afternoon at Balzli Field.

The Flashes (14-3-1) can win the division title and a first round home playoff game if they can beat the Bruins at Balzli Field on Tuesday night.

&#8220We’re already in the playoffs but if we beat Madison St. Joe, we get homefield advantage. If we don’t, we have to go somewhere way up north near Corinth,” said St. Al forward Jase Ebersole, who had two goals against McComb to go with two from Friday night’s win at North Pike.

The Flashes need the offense since they have to make do without their top player. Team captain Adam Fulcher broke both bones in his leg in last week’s game at Greenville-St. Joseph.

&#8220Losing Adam definitely hurt us, but we’ve had guys like Stephen Mazzanti and now Jase step up,” St. Al forward Bray Jones said.

Ebersole put the Flashes on the board 15 minutes, 39 seconds into the game with a goal off an assist from Adam Thornton.

Less than three minutes later, the Flashes were back on the board when Mazzanti blasted a rebound kick from 10 yards out after a header by Ebersole was stopped by McComb keeper Jason Elliott.

McComb (6-11) managed just three shots on goal in the first half as St. Al’s Matt Thornton made a pair of saves. Thornton started in place of regular keeper Patrick Karel, who was attending a funeral.

Ebersole got his second goal of the game at the 27:40 mark, booting a 30-yard kick past Elliott.

Jones made it 4-0 off a breakaway after getting the outlet pass from Matthew Jenkins.

Forty seconds before the half, Chris Guizerix capped a five-goal outburst off an assist by Thornton. The Flashes had 20 of their 27 shots on goal in the first half.

&#8220We’re not a great Saturday team,” said McComb coach Michael Burkett. &#8220But we were a lot more aggressive in the second half and played better.”

McComb did play better in the second half. A 35-yard direct kick was stopped by Matt Thornton. But two minutes later, a 40-yard kick by Dylan Boyd found the net to make it 5-1 with 34 minutes left.

The Flashes had five shots in the final 15 minutes but could not get a sixth goal.

(G) St. Al 8, McComb 0.

The Lady Flashes (12-5-1) scored four goals in each half to rout McComb (10-6-1).

&#8220This was good for us to prepare for Tuesday night,” said St. Al coach Karen Carroll, whose team hosts Madison-St. Joe in a division game on Tuesday. &#8220I was able to play my eighth graders in the last 20 minutes.”

Mississippi State signee Andrea Harrison scored both of her goals in the first half, while Haley Davis had a goal and an assist. Taylor George scored off a free kick and had an assist in the second half on a goal by Krista McCollum.

Marie Booth had two goals in the second half to go with one from Shana Stanton. Erin Sigh and Abby Arledge had assists.