By Tom Dodge
Sports Editor
FULTON, Mississippi – The No. 2 LSU Eunice Lady Bengals suffered a heart-breaking extra inning 6-5 loss to No. 4 Jones County Junior College in the Region 23 winner’s bracket final.
Jones County (48-3) advanced to Saturday’s championship and with the win earned a berth in the NJCAA Division II national tournament that begins Wednesday in Clinton, Mississippi.
The loss forced the Lady Bengals (45-17) to an elimination game against either Itwamba Community College (41-10) or East Central Community College (35-13).
A LSUE win and they would advance to face JCJC again but also earn a berth in the world series.
With the game tied 5-5 after seven innings, the two teams battled to grab the crucial victory.
Lady Bengal Darian Doucet doubled in the top of the eighth but could not advance and no LSUE player reached base after that.
The Lady Bobcats rallied in the bottom of the 10th when McKennah Sikes, Gracie McCleskey and Bailey Gilbert all singled to load the bases.
Kelsha Loftin then singled in Sikes for the 6-5 victory.
Jones County grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second when Sikes singled and scored on a bases-loaded fielder’s choice.
LSUE responded with two runs in the top of the third, begun when Darian Doucet singled and scored on a triple by Mima Doucet.
Madison Monson then singled in Mima Doucet as LSUE moved ahead, 2-1.
Jones answered with a run in the bottom of the inning as Callie Venable doubled and scored on a two-out hit by Sikes.
The Lady Bobcats moved ahead 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth frame when Loftin walked with two outs and scored on a double from Taylor Murray.
Morghan LaTour opened the game in the circle for LSUE as she went 3.2 innings and allowed three earned runs on four hits.
Jeanne Trahan entered and struck out Emily Robinson to end the inning.
Jones increased its lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the sixth when Angel Guyton singled and pinch runner McCleskey scored when a ball went off LSUE pitcher Trahan.
After an injury forced Trahan out of the game, pitcher Kaleigh Crutchfield forced a groundout to end the inning.
Trailing by two runs in the top of the seventh, the Lady Bengals rallied to take a 4-3 advantage.
Mima Doucet hit a two-out single and Monson blasted a home run over the left field fence to force a 4-4 tie.
Emily Henderson then followed with a towering home run over the left field fence to push the Lady Bengals ahead, 5-4.
Freshman pitcher Heather Zumo entered the game for LSUE with the hopes of sealing the win.
But Venable singled and scored when Faith Denton reached on a two-out error to force extra innings.
JCJC starting pitcher Madison Burge allowed five runs on 10 hits over 6.2 innings.
Harley Mullins threw 3.1 innings and allowed just one hit with three strikeouts.
Lady Bengal Darian Doucet finished 3-for-4 with a run scored, while Monson went 2-for-5 with three RBI and a run scored.
Mima Doucet finished 2-for-5 with a RBI and two runs scored.
Lakyn Wales went 2-for-3 as LSUE finished with 11 hits in the game.
Zumo (26-8) suffered the loss as she allowed one earned run on five hits with two strikeouts over 3.1 innings.
LSUE 4, ICC 2
LSU Eunice used a complete game from Heather Zumo and timely hits to take down No. 3 Itawamba 4-2 in the Bengals' Region 23 Tournament opener.
LSUE flirted with opportunities in the first two innings, begun when Mima Doucet singled in the first by was left stranded at third.
Haley Godeaux reached on an error in the second inning but she was also left stranded at the corner.
The Lady Bengals broke the scoreless tie in the third when Madison Monson walked with two outs and scored on Emily Henderson’s double to give LSUE a 1-0 lead.
The Lady Bengals added a run in the bottom of the fifth when Lakyn Wales and Mima Doucet both walked and Monson singled as pinch runner Lexi-Jo DeBarge scored on an error.
Henderson was intentionally walked and Ally Howard drove in two runs on a bases loaded single to left as Mima Doucet and Monson scored.
Itawamba rallied for two runs in the top of the sixth as Cori Childs singled, Meg Sullivan reached on a fielder’s choice and both scored on a hit by Macey Cox.
ICC threatened again in the seventh with two runners in scoring position when Joanna Vasquez reached on a fielder’s choice and Childs reached on an two-out error.
Heather Zumo then forced the final out for the complete game win.
Zumo allowed two earned runs on seven hits with five strikeouts.
Cox led ICC as she finished 1-for-3 with two RBI, while Childs went 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Bailie Springfield took the loss for ICC after giving up four earned runs on four hits with five walks and five srikeouts.
Mima Doucet (1-for-3, BB, RS), Monson (1-for-3, BB, 2 RS), Henderson (1-for-2, BB, RBI) and Howard (1-for-3, 2 RBI) recorded the four Lady Bengal hits.