Montgomery, Marlar Lead No. 12 Indians Past No. 20 Gulf Coast

FULTON, Miss. – The No. 12 Indians outlasted No. 20 Gulf Coast in a 12-inning pitcher's duel in the opener, then came back and finished the job with a 6-4 win in Game 2.

Game 1: No. 12 Indians 1, No. 20 Gulf Coast 0 (12 innings)

The opener turned into a long, tense fight, and Ramsey Montgomery made sure the Indians never gave it away.

Montgomery worked all 12 innings and kept Gulf Coast off the board from start to finish. She allowed four hits, struck out a modern-day program-record 19 and battled through five walks, setting a modern-day record for innings pitched in a single game along the way.

Gulf Coast's Gabby Smith matched her. Smith kept the Indians scoreless for 11.2 innings, scattered 10 hits and did not issue a walk.

In the top of the 11th, the Bulldogs loaded the bases with one out. Montgomery did not blink. She got a fielder's choice at the plate for the second out, then finished the inning with a flyout to center to keep the game scoreless.

The Indians threatened in the bottom half when Skylar Partlow and AB Marlar put together back-to-back singles, but the Bulldogs escaped and sent the game to the 12th.

Gulf Coast made one more push in the top of the inning, using an error, a walk and a single to load the bases again, but Montgomery worked out of it and gave her squad another chance to win it.

This time, the Indians took it.

Alyssa Dossey opened the bottom of the 12th with a single, stole second to move into position for the swing the Indians had been waiting on all game. Two batters later, Victoria Fields sent a double to right and Dossey raced home to give the Indians a walk-off win.

Game 2: No. 12 Indians 6, No. 20 Gulf Coast 4

After winning a 12-inning battle to start the day, the Indians still had enough left to answer every time the Bulldogs tried to flip the script.

Marlar hit two home runs and drove in three runs as the Indians completed the sweep with a 6-4 win.

Marlar wasted little time making her mark. In the first inning, she drove a two-run home run to center to give the Indians an early 2-0 lead.

The Bulldogs answered, but Marlar came right back in the third. Her solo shot to right gave the Indians a 3-2 edge.

In the top of the fifth, Gulf Coast finally pushed ahead 4-3, using a groundout and an ICC error to take the lead.

Victoria Fields tripled to bring home the tying run and Gabby Snell followed with a two-run single that put ICC back in front for good.

Lizzie Meeks handled the rest. The sophomore went all seven innings, allowed five hits and four runs, three earned, while striking out five and walking one.