Lady Bengals move past Phoenix and into tomorrow's Championship game
The LSU Eunice softball team is heading back to their third consecutive NJCAA National Championship game after a 6-1 victory over Phoenix College in the Lady Bengals second game of the day Friday afternoon.
The top-seeded Lady Bengals (61-5) saw the sophomore duo of Kelsey Hollier and Taylor Simon both collect two hits and combine to drive home five of the six runs in the win over No. 2-seeded Phoenix.
“It’s a good feeling being in the championship game, but we were here last year. Hopefully we have learned from that. It is great to be back in the championship game and great to beat a good ball club like that,” head coach Andy Lee said.
“(Hollier and Simon) are the heart and soul of this team right now. They are carrying this team, being leaders on this team, they are great people, and I am just proud of the way they have stepped up as sophomores,” he added.
Simon gave LSU Eunice the lead in the top of the first inning with her RBI single to plate Brooke Thomas before coming up the second inning and extending the lead with another RBI single to plate Codi Covington.
Hollier followed Simon and delivered a bases-loaded double into the left-center field gap to plate all three runs and push the lead out to 5-0.
In the top of the fourth, it was again Hollier coming through, this time with an RBI single to plate Thomas and give the Lady Bengals a six-run lead.
Phoenix scored their lone run in the bottom of the sixth, but Lady Bengal pitcher Julienne Broussard kept Phoenix off balance the rest of the night, tossing a complete game, four-hitter and allowing just the one run on two walks while striking out four batters.
In addition to Hollier and Simon, the Lady Bengals also received two-hit nights from Thomas and Emily Nolan (double) as the top four hitters in the lineup combined for eight of the 10 LSU Eunice hits.
Ashley Subervielle and Covington added a hit each as well.
The Lady Bengals now wait to see who their opponent will be tomorrow afternoon in a 1:30 p.m. game for the national title. LSU Eunice would have to lose twice tomorrow to be eliminated.
Tomorrow’s NJCAA National Championship game can be seen for free on NJCAA TV.
