SPARTANBURG, S.C. — No. 5 Pearl River's first win on the NJCAA Division II Softball World Series stage came in unforgettable fashion Wednesday as Ann Elise Duncan no-hit No. 12 Johnson County and Natalee Eaves supplied the power in a 6-0 Wildcat victory.

"They were definitely excited about this game, and we did a phenomenal job of keeping our heads level through all the nerves and excitement," head coach Christie Meeks said. "The girls were just being themselves and having fun. We were calm, composed and in control. It takes a lot of mental toughness to play on the big stage."

Pearl River advances to the winner's bracket game to face No. 4 Rock Valley at 2 p.m. ET Thursday. The Wildcats and Golden Eagles faced earlier this season on March 7, with Pearl River claiming a 2-1 victory.

Duncan (McComb; Brookhaven Academy) was in command from the opening inning for Pearl River (44-7 overall) against Johnson County (37-12). After Addy Grace Alexander (Poplarville) charged in and made a sliding catch on a soft liner to right field for the game's first out, Duncan struck out the next two batters to end the frame.

The Wildcats broke through in the second inning. Jaycee Holifield (Laurel; Stringer) ripped a single into center field before Maeli Ben (Conehatta; Newton County) followed with an infield single off the pitcher's glove. Teegan DeWitt (Pass Christian; Hancock) then worked a seven-pitch walk to load the bases, and Taylor Foster (Petal) patiently drew a bases-loaded walk to bring home the game's first run. Two batters later, Kai Goodman (New Orleans, La.; John Curtis) was hit by a pitch to force in another run and extend the lead to 2-0.

Shania Fondren (Batesville; South Panola) flashed her glove in the third inning to help preserve Duncan's no-hit bid. With two runners aboard, Fondren dove to snag a sharp ground ball down the third-base line and tagged the bag for the force out. One pitch later, she knocked down another hard-hit ball and dove back to the bag to end the inning.

Pearl River added another run in the fourth when Eaves (Louisville; Choctaw Central) lifted a sacrifice fly deep into right field to make it 3-0.

Duncan continued to keep Johnson County off balance throughout the afternoon, working around a leadoff walk in the fifth before the Wildcats broke the game open in the sixth.

With Goodman and Alexander aboard, Eaves crushed a pitch over the wall in left-center field for a three-run homer, stretching the Pearl River advantage to 6-0.

"That fence is 225 feet, which is a lot bigger than any park we've played in this year," Meeks said. "To see her hit that ball out was unbelievable."

Duncan needed just 12 pitches in the seventh inning to finish off the complete-game no-hitter and seal the historic victory.

"Her walks were effective walks, and those didn't faze her," Meeks said. "We knew what we wanted to pitch around. Her screwball and riseball worked really well for her today. She was a dog today. She showed up and commanded the game."

Eaves finished 2-for-3 with four RBIs, a double and a home run. Goodman also collected two hits for the Wildcats, going 2-for-3.

Duncan tossed seven no-hit innings, allowing just five baserunners on four walks and a hit batter while striking out four to improve to 8-3 on the season.

TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets are $15 per day and tournament passes are $50. Children 12 & under will be admitted for FREE.

TUNE IN
The entire 2026 NJCAA Division II Softball World Series will be streamed live on the NJCAA Network. A day pass costs $12, a tournament pass is available for $35 and an all-access pass costs $100.

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