CLINTON, Miss. --- Mississippi College's softball team clinched a decisive victory against Tampa (42-9) in game two of the Clinton Regional in the NCAA DII Softball South II Regional, propelling them into the Championship game against Tampa at the MC Softball Complex on Saturday.

MC kicked off the game with a strong start, as Emily Rigney's double led to a run scored on a flyout from McCall Lee, giving them an early lead.

The Choctaws added to their lead in the third inning, erupting with four runs. The inning saw contributions from Jordann Moore, Emily Rigney, Shelby Samples, McCall Lee, and Ashley Lightcap, including a crucial double.

It wasn't until the fourth inning that Tampa made the game interesting, scoring three runs. Camryn Wineinger's single, Kinnah Kreidler's double, and Megan Devillier's home run to left field narrowed the gap.

MC extended their lead in the 5th inning, adding another run to make it 6-3 over Tampa. Samples, Lee, Eaton, and Lightcap all contributed with singles to cap off the inning.

In the final inning, Camryn Bailey kept fans on the edge of their seats, striking out the first two batters before allowing Tampa to load the bases. However, she ultimately secured the win for MC, finishing with a score of 6-3 over Tampa.

MC improved to 47-7 overall on the season with the win, setting up a date tomorrow at 12 pm with Tampa in the Regional Championship. Winner advances to the NCAA Division II Softball Super Regional - (advancing scenarios: Tampa advances with two (2) wins; Mississippi College advances with one (1) win)

Stat of the day

Mississippi College stands alone as the first team this season to tally 10 or more hits against Tampa, the team with the lowest ERA in the country at .91. Additionally, MC is the sole team to score more than four runs against Tampa's all season.

Rigney finished with two hits two runs while Lightcap finished with two hits and three RBI's