The Angelina College Lady Roadrunners softball team had every reason to just coast through their first round game at the NJCAA World Series and then try to regroup and get back on track for the rest of the tournament.  Apparently, that wasn't an option. 

The Lady 'Runners endured a 39 hour journey to St. George, Utah thanks to cancelled flights and bad weather, and then to rub salt into an open wound, AC had to go into extra innings in a hard fought 7-6 first round victory over Southern Union State.

The Lady ‘Runners trailed deep in the game but rallied late, scoring four runs in the sixth to tie the game. Tessa Thomas – who went 3-for-4 for the game – knocked in two runs with a double to the gap and scored ahead of Kassie James’ single, and Katelyn Barker scored on a Lady Bison error.

Southern Union threatened a walk-off win in the bottom halves of the seventh and eighth, getting the leadoff hitters aboard in each frame, but the AC defense converted line drives into double plays in both innings.

Finally, in the ninth, Sage Martinez rocked a double off the top of the centerfield fence, missing a solo homer by mere inches. Melissa Boland bunted Martinez to third, and Harper came through with a line drive to right to score Martinez. In the Southern Union half of the ninth, AC pitcher Samantha Moore calmly notched a 1-2-3 inning, capped by catcher Tessa Thomas’ crashing into the backstop wall for a game-ending catch on a foul pop. That wasn’t the first spectacular defensive play: Trina Deyo turned in three web gems in left field, and Katelyn Barker picked a ball off the top of the wall to save an extra-base hit in the sixth.

The Lady ‘Runners will now take on 15th-seeded Jefferson College, which beat the No. 2 seed Southern Idaho 4-1.  Thursday’s game will start at 5 p.m.

Here are some photos from Wednesday's exciting victory

AC Press Photo
AC Press Photo
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Angelina College shortstop Sage Martinez makes the tag while taking a hard slide from Southern Union State’s Jordan Foradori during Wednesday’s opening round of the NJCAA World Series in St. George, Utah.

 

AC Press Photo
AC Press Photo
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Angelina College’s Tessa Thomas drives a double to the opposite field in Wednesday’s opening round of the NJCAA World Series in St. George, Utah.

 

AC Press Photo
AC Press Photo
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Angelina College left fielder Trina Deyo crashes to the turf after making a spectacular catch in Wednesday’s opening round of the NJCAA World Series in St. George, Utah.

 

AC Press Photo
AC Press Photo
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Tessa Thomas of Angelina College celebrates her fifth-inning, two-run double during Wednesday’s opening round of the NJCAA World Series in St. George, Utah.

 

 

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