CLINTON, Mississippi – Two-time defending NJCAA Division II champions LSU Eunice begin its title defense this week at the softball world series at Traceway Park.
Five-time national champion LSUE will make the trip to the national tournament for the seventh time in the last eight years.
LSU Eunice (46-18) finished as Region 23 runners-up after a 10-0 loss to Jones County Junior College in the championship game.
The Jones County pitching duo of Karli Perque and Hallie Donald threw a combined no-hitter against the Lady Bengals.
Jones County jumped out a 2-0 lead in the first inning and added two more runs in the second frame.
The Bobcats exploded for a five-run third inning, highlighted by Gracie McCleskey's two-run home run to push the Lady Bobcats’ lead to 9-0.
Kaeleigh Crutchfield was tagged with the loss after tossing 2.1 innings, giving up seven runs off four hits and four walks.
Heidi Zumo and Jeanne Trahan also saw action in the circle for LSUE.
LSU Eunice showed signs of life in the third after opening the frame with two straight walks by Kelci Bodin and Alexa Lonibos but JCJC would sit down the next three Bengal batters to squash the threat.
With the Lady Bengals trailing 10-0, Bodin also walked in the fifth inning and stole second but left stranded Jones County sealed the mercy-rule win.
Emily Robinson went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored for JCJC.
After opening the regional with a 4-2 win over No. 3 Itawamba, No. 2 LSUE then dropped a hard-fought nine-inning 6-5 loss to JCJC.
LSUE responded with a 6-2 win over East Central to advance to the regional title game.
After two scoreless innings, the Lady Bengals exploded for four runs in the third inning, begun when Mima Doucet singled and scored on a hit by Madison Monson.
Lakyn Wales singled in Monson, while Ally Howard walked, stole third and scored on an error.
Wales scored on a double by Haley Godeaux to push LSUE up, 4-0.
East Central closed the gap with two runs in the top of the sixth when Shelby Walters singled, Kayla Beckham reached on an error and both scored on a double by Eva Scott.
Waters went 2-for-3 with a run scored for East Central.
LSUE answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning to seal the win.
Haley Godeaux singled and scored on a hit by Sierra Gasca.
Gasca scored on a hit by Mima Doucet to extend the Lady Bengals’ margin to 6-2.
Doucet and Godeaux paced the LSUE offense with two-hit games in the Bengals’ nine-hit attack.
Doucet went 2-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored, while Godeaux finished 2-for-3 with a RBI and a run scored.
Heather Zumo earned her 27th win of the season, the third-most in a single-season in school history and presently the second-best in the country.
She is also second in the nation with eight saves.
Zumo allowed two unearned runs off five hits with five strikeouts and no walks in the complete-game win.
Monson sits at No 4 in Division II with 18 home runs.
Mima Doucet is leads the nation with 27 doubles, is fourth with 88 hit, fifth with 69 runs scored and ninth in the country with 38 stolen bases.