It a win-or-go-home elimination game, LSU Eunice earned an 8-4 victory over East Central Mississippi Community College Saturday to advance to the Region 23 title game against Jones County Junior College.
East Central defeated Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College 7-3 to stay alive to face the Lady Bengals.
The top-ranked Lady Bengals (53-6) earned its sixth national tournament berth and will play May 18-21 in the NJCAA Division II World Series at Traceway Park in Clinton, Mississippi.
LSU Eunice scored a run in the top of the second as Bobbi Smith walked, stole second and crossed home plate on Jaci Lavigne's hit to left field.
The Lady Bengals pushed two more runs across in the third inning when Rebecca Skains and Jeanmarie Angelle both singled and scored on Smith's bases-loaded double to right field.
East Central closed the gap to 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth, begun when Brittney McGray doubled and Katelyn Duke blasted a home run over the centerfield wall.
The Lady Bengals responded with a run in the top of the fifth as Darby Bishop belted a solo home run over the right field fence.
LSU Eunice exploded for four runs in the top of the sixth inning to seal the win, begun when Molly Wilson walked, Lavigne singled and Maddie Edmonston walked to load the bases.
Skains hit a sacrifice to plate Wilson, while Bishop singled in Lavigne and Edmonston to push the Lady Bengals ahead, 7-2.
Pinch runner Olivia Gabor scored on Alli Daigle's two-out single for the Lady Bengals' eight run of the game.
The Lady Warriors battled back to score two runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh before the Lady Bengal defense stiffened to preserve the win.
Andi Hannaford, Latesia Davis and Caitlyn Aldous hit consecutive singles to load the bases before Maegen Ellis drove in both Hannaford and Davis to close the margin to 8-4.
Mahalia Gibson then flied out to Lady Bengal rightfielder Smith to end the game and set up LSU Eunice's rematch with Jones County Junior College.
Savannah Cates earned the win as she struck out two, walked two and allowed earned two runs on four hits over four innings of work.
Abigail Leonards closed the final three innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits.
Bishop went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored, while Smith went 2-fof-2 with two walks, two RBI and a run scored.
Lavigne went 2-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored as the Lady Bengals finished with 10 hits after being limited to just four hits in the 4-2 loss to Jones County.
Jones County (44-6) advances to Sunday's regional championship game and also earned a berth in the World Series set for May 18-21 in Clinton, Mississippi.
