CLINTON, Miss. – For the seventh time in program history, LSU Eunice will play for a NJCAA Division National Championship after winning two games on Friday to clinch a berth in Saturday's title game at Traceway Park. The Bengals (51-6) also clinched their seventh 50-win season under head coach Andy Lee.
LSU Eunice roared to a 7-1 victory over four-seed Highland CC to start Friday, followed by a nail-biting 2-1 victory against three-seed Phoenix College. The top-seed Bengals await the winner of tomorrow morning's matchup between two-seed Des Moines Area CC and Phoenix College.
The Bengals are in search of their sixth NJCAA National Championship, all coming since 2011.
The NJCAA Division II National Championship is set for a 1:30PM start time and can be seen online on NJCAA TV. The Bayou Sports Network will also have a live audio feed with Randy Guillory on the call.
Game 1 vs. Highland CC, W 7-1
LSU Eunice used an early offensive surge to take care of Highland CC, 7-1, to advance to the NJCAA National Semifinals. It was the first ever meeting between the Bengals and Scotties.
Madison Monson delivered the opening salvo with a first inning opposite field two-run home run to give LSUE the 2-0 advantage. It was Monson's second homer of the tournament and team-best 13th of the season.
The Bengals would load the bases an inning later off a Jensen Howell and Lexi-Jo Debarge single sandwiched between a walk. Lele Martinez would plate pinch runner Morgan Harlow to expand the lead to 3-0.
After Highland would score its lone run of the game in the fourth, the Bengals responded with a three-spot in the bottom half of the inning highlighted by DeBarge's solo home run. DeBarge enjoyed a perfect 3-for-3 outing to lead LSUE's 10-hit attack.
Monson would deliver the final run of the game an inning later by capitalizing off one of four Scottie errors to give LSUE the 7-1 lead.
The dynamic duo of Heather Zumo and Jensen Howell combined for 11 strikeouts and scattering just three hits in the game. Zumo (W, 20-2) sat down six batters while giving up one earned run off three hits and a walk in 3.2 innings of action. Zumo retired the first eight batters she faced.
Howell would shut down Highland after the Scotties scored their only run in the fourth. The sophomore would 3.1 innings of hitless relief, striking out five and walking two.
Game 2 vs. Phoenix College, W 2-1
LSUE managed two runs in the opening inning before Jensen Howell shouldered the load in a 2-1 thriller over Phoenix College to advance to the NJCAA National Championship.
Kelci Bodin provided the early offense with a solo home run to straight away center in the first inning. The Bengal bats stayed hot in the frame as LSUE used a Madison Monson single and error on a Lexi-Jo DeBarge bunt to take a 2-0 lead.
After the first inning, LSUE and Phoenix were locked in a classic pitching duel. The two teams would combine for four hits the final six innings as Jensen Howell matched previously unbeaten Brianna Hardy.
The Bengals would survive a scare in the second inning as Phoenix loaded the bases with one out. Howell would snag a force out at home followed by one of her four strikeouts to get out of the game. The Bears would score their lone run of the game in the fourth off a sacrifice fly.
LSUE would face one final threat in the final inning as Phoenix connected on a one-out triple. Howell would induce two of her 14 groundouts to help the Bengals clinch their finals berth. The sophomore improved to 21-3 on the season with her 12th complete game of the season.
