COLUMBUS, Ga. – In perhaps the most highly anticipated game of the 2014 NFCA Junior College Leadoff Classic at the South Commons Complex in Columbus, Ga., defending NJCAA Division II national champion LSU-Eunice secured the Gold bracket crown with a 6-4 (8 inn.) Sunday afternoon victory over defending NJCAA Division I national champion Wallace State-Hanceville.

After suffering a one-run defeat to Blinn in pool play, the Lady Bengals barely advanced to the Gold bracket playoff as the seventh-seed. LSU-E made the most of its opportunity, however, rolling past second-seeded Lake Land (8-3) and third-seeded San Jacinto (7-0) before topping WSHCC in a championship game thriller.

The pool seedings held in the Silver bracket as No. 1 Central Alabama rallied past No. 2 Tallahassee in eight frames to win the crown, 5-4. The Trojans had reached the title contest by downing eighth-seeded Georgia Perimeter (8-6) and outlasting fifth-seeded Seminole State in an offensive shootout, 14-8.

After earning playoff victories over Florence-Darlington Tech (11-0 in 5 inn.) and No. 2-seed Heartland (6-5), Southern Union completed its run by routing eighth-seeded CCBC-Catonsville in the Bronze bracket championship tilt, 8-0 (5 inn.).

In the consolation finals top-seeded Northwest Florida downed sixth-seeded Kirkwood in the Gold bracket (7-3), No. 7-seed Indian Hills defeated eighth-seeded Georgia Perimeter (2-1) in the Silver bracket and top-seeded Des Moines Area routed seventh-seeded Pasco-Hernando (13-3 in 5 inn.).

For more information, including a full wrap-up of tournament action with updated brackets, please visit this LINK.