FULTON, Miss. – The No. 3 Indians eliminated Northeast Mississippi Community College from postseason play with a 5-0 win in Game 2 of the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior College (MACJC) Best-of-Three series on Saturday.
Freshman Olivia Burns (Grenada) earned the win with 13 strikeouts in a complete game one-hitter. She improves to 18-2 on the season and moves into sole possession of the second place for most wins in a single season, surpassing 2015 graduate Hannah Johnson (Branson, Mo.).
Playing as the visitors on the scoreboard, ICC (39-7) broke the seal on a scoreless contest when Burns dropped a two-out single into right field to plate Macey Cox (Troy, Tenn.) in the top of the fourth inning and took a 2-0 lead on a single to left by Bailie Springfield (Mantee) to score Meg Sullivan (Springville, Ala.) in the fifth.
McKenzie Piper (Pell City) reached on the Tigers' (26-21) fourth error of the game to start the seventh. She was replaced on the bases by Kelcie Yates (Yazoo City), who would score on Springfield's second hit of the game to take a 3-0 lead.
Springfield and Madison Carnes (Ecru) entered to run for Cox, who reached on a single, advance into scoring position after a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by Haley Reid (Batesville) to set up Rachel Sternisha (Olive Branch) for a two-out, two-run double in a pitch hit situation to give the Indians the 5-0 advantage heading into the final frame.
A deep fly ball was hauled in on the warning track by Piper for the first out of the inning and Burns closed the door on the Tigers with back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.
The Indians had 10 hits with Burns, Springfield, and Samantha Conley (Mandeville, La.) each recording a pair of hits in the win. Lizzy Van Manen had the lone hit of the game in the second inning for Northeast.
The win ties the record for most wins in a single season (39) for the Indians and is the 78th win for the sophomore class, tying the mark for career team wins.
ICC will host the MACJC Tournament on May 4-6 in Fulton. Joining the No. 3 Indians will be No. 4 Jones County Junior College, No. 11 East Central Community College, and Pearl River Community College in the double elimination tournament.
The Indians will face Pearl River while Jones County and East Central will face off in the opening round of the tournament – official times are expected to be announced Sunday or Monday.
For more information on ICC softball, follow the Indians on Twitter (@LetsGoICC).