POPLARVILLE, Miss. - The No. 10 Indians defeated Co-Lin in run-rule fashion to punch their ticket to their first trip to the NJCAA Division II World Series Thursday night.
The Indians (38-13-1) scored four runs in the bottom of the first and added seven in the fifth to pick up the 11-1 win over the Wolves and advance to Friday's regional championship game against LSU-Eunice.
Mattie Meine (Olive Branch) singled by the first baseman and scored on a double from Summer Cryder (Tupelo). Samantha Conley (Mandeville, La.) singled and scored along with Cryder on a single by Macey Cox (Troy, Tenn.). Jessica Davis (Cumberland) doubled to score Cox to give the Inidans a 4-0 lead before the Wolves could get out of the inning.
Co-Lin answered to make it 4-1 in the top of the third.
The Indians put the game away with an impressive seven-run fourth inning.
Meine singled and Rachel Sternisha (Olive Branch) followed with a walk before Conley reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases with no outs in the innig. Cryder ripped a single to the outfield to score Meine and Sternisha scored on a throwing error to put the Indians up 6-1. Cox drew a walk and Maggie Smithey (New Albany) blistered a ground ball to force and Co-Lin error that allowed Lilli Moore (Fulton), who was running for Conley, and Cryder to score.. Davis lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to score Makenzie Toombs (Ackerman), who was running for Cox. Joanna Vasquez (Southaven) singled to score Hannah Sparks (Mantachie) to round out the big inning.
Olivia Burns (Grenada) picked up the win for the Indians after giving up one run on five hits and one walk while striking out seven. Meine and Cryder each had a pair of hits in the game while Conley, Cox, Davis, Vasquez, and Hope Harbin (Columbus) each help the Indians total nine hits in the win.
After securing their spot in next week's World Series in Clinton with the win, the Indians will have to win two games over LSU-Eunice in order to win the 2019 NJCAA Region 23 Championship on Friday. The game(s) will be available on LetsGoICCTV.com/red.