SPARTANBURG, S.C. — To be the best softball team in the country, all Copiah-Lincoln Community College had to be was the best in Mississippi.

Abby Grace Richardson hit a grand slam, and Belle West pitched a complete-game shutout at Co-Lin beat in-state rival Jones College 7-0 on Saturday to win the NJCAA Division II national championship.

Co-Lin (49-10) won three consecutive elimination games in less than 24 hours, including two against Jones (50-10), to win its first national championship. West hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the top of the eighth inning in a 10-5 win over Jones on Friday evening, after Jones defeated Co-Lin earlier that day.

Co-Lin was seeded fifth out of 16 teams in the NJCAA World Series but won six of its seven games while advancing through the bracket, including one vs. No. 1 seed Murray State.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ANY SPORT EVER!! THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS RESIDE IN WESSON!!! LADY WOLVES BEAT THE BOBCATS 7-0! #BackThePack pic.twitter.com/l3t5ZviipM

— Co-Lin Athletics (@colinathletics) May 27, 2023

Co-Lin also won six of its seven meetings against Jones this season, and the winner-take-all championship game on Saturday belonged to them.

The Lady Wolves broke through in the third inning when Madison Moak hit an RBI single and Josie Meggs scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead.

Richardson’s grand slam was part of a five-run fifth inning that put the game away and started the celebration early.
West allowed five hits and three walks, but no runs, and retired eight of the last nine batters she faced. She finished with two strikeouts.

West also singled and scored a run. Meggs was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Former Tallulah Academy standout Faith Kivett was 1-for-4 with a single for Co-Lin as well. Kivett batted .316 (6-for-19) and scored five runs in the World Series.