UPDATE: Vance’s 9th-inning blast wins another one

ELLISVILLE — Abby Vance's whole season was boiled down into the microcosm of Saturday's amazing Mississippi Gulf Coast comeback win in the NJCAA Region 23 Softball Tournament.

She struggled in the circle as the starting pitcher, then left the hero after her second home run of the day and fourth of the tournament. Her three-run shot in the ninth inning turned a one-run deficit into a 12-10 win that moved the Bulldogs on to the next game.

How is she doing it?

"I have no idea," the third-year sophomore from Calhoun City said. "God. That's all I know."

The Bulldogs (39-19) will play LSU Eunice later Saturday. The Bengals lost 4-2 in the winners' bracket in the game after Gulf Coast's.

The Bulldogs have won three games in the tournament, all walk-offs, and Vance has hit two game-winning homers.

After Northeast went ahead 10-9 in the top of the ninth, Abi Williams (Fr., Columbia/Columbia Academy) got hit off the top of the helmet with the first pitch. Kamryn LaFosse (Fr., Lake Charles, La./Sam Houston) drew a walk to bring Vance to the plate.

She was hitting below .200 when the tournament started, but Northeast intentionally walked her twice before having to pitch to her. She had already hit a two-run homer and RBI double, and she crushed a ball to dead center to win it.

"She has been the same person all year, good and bad," Gulf Coast coach David Kuhn said. "She has struggled as much as anybody on this team, but you can never tell it. It's the same poker face all the way through. She's just pleasant all the time. I love the way God's rewarded her this week."

The Bulldogs erased four different deficits Saturday. K.K. Agner (So., Horn Lake/Magnolia Heights) hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the first to tie the game at 2. Vance's first home run, a two-run shot to left, made it 4-4 in the second ahead of a three-run shot that gave the Bulldogs a 7-4 lead.

Vance's double in the third made it 8-4, but Northeast got a two-run shot and an RBI double in the fourth. Back-to-back homers leading off the six put Northeast up 9-8.

Roberson tied it with a double to force extra innings. The Tigers took the lead in the ninth on a sac fly to set up the final dramatics.

"We're staying in it and not quitting," Kuhn said. "We're finding a way to win. I'm really proud of our team. I thought both teams played exceptionally well; I thought both teams could have quit. We got them down 8-4, and they battled back, went ahead. I ain't never been a part of something like this my whole life. It's pretty fun to watch. We don't want it to end yet."

Vance couldn't get an out in the second inning and gave way to Kylie Burnette (Fr., Picayune/Picayune) and then Jett Harrell (Fr., Clarksdale/Lee Academy). Harrell went 7.2 innings of relief, striking out 10 and allowing six runs.

Vance didn't let the rough stop slow her down at the plate. She finished 3-for-3 with six RBI.

"I was frustrated with myself at first," she said. "But I just tried to come through and get some runs on the board for us to win it."

Roberson had four RBI with a pair of hits, and Agner and Green had two hits each.

For more information on MGCCC's 11 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.