Lady Wolves Punch Ticket to Region 23 Championship

WESSON – The Co-Lin Softball team continued play in the Region 23 Semifinal by facing off against Northwest on Tuesday, May 6. The No. 1 seeded Lady Wolves beat the No. 5 seeded Rangers, 5-3, to secure a spot in the Region 23 Championship and their third straight appearance in the NJCAA Division II National Tournament.

The Lady Wolves got on the board first with one run in the bottom of the first as Brelie Phillips (Conehatta) hit a bunt single and then advanced to third on an error on the play. Phillips then scored on a sacrifice bunt by Olivia Banes (Pelahatchie) to take a 1-0 lead.

The Rangers then took advantage of an error by the Lady Wolves to score a run in the top of the second and tie the game at 1-1. That score held until the Lady Wolves plated two runs in the bottom of the third to retake the lead as Phillips hit a one-out double to get the offense started. Banes then followed with a single advancing Phillips to third. After Banes stole second, Taylor Efferson (Holden, LA) hit a two-RBI single scoring Phillips and Banes to give the Lady Wolves a 3-1 lead.

The Lady Wolves then added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth as Emilie Williams hit a one-out double to get the offense going. Stella Roberts (Raymond) then stepped up to the plate, took one swing of the bat, and crushed a two-run home run, her eighth of the season, to increase the lead to 5-1.

The Rangers then scored two runs in the top of the fifth to cut the lead down to 5-3. After the Lady Wolves left the bases loaded, the Rangers looked to cut into the lead in the top of the seventh as Ellie Fryar hit a two-out double to extend the inning. Carly Dunigan then singled to left field while Fryar tried to score, but Noelle Laiche (Gonzales, LA) threw Fryar out at home to secure the 5-3 victory for the Lady Wolves.

The Lady Wolves had nine hits as a team as Brelie Phillips, Taylor Efferson, and Emilie Williams had two hits apiece while Olivia Banes, Stella Roberts, and Carson Hughey (Brookhaven) had one hit each. Efferson and Roberts led the Lady Wolves in RBIs with two each while Banes had one RBI.

Taylor Efferson improved to 16-2 overall with the complete game win allowing three runs, one earned, on eight hits with one walk and four strikeouts.

Co-Lin improves to 43-4 overall and will host Jones on Saturday, May 10 in the Region 23 Championship game. First pitch between the No. 1 seeded Lady Wolves and the No. 2 seeded Bobcats is set for 2 p.m., at Lady Wolves Field in Wesson.