VALDOSTA – Lowndes needed just 4 ½ innings to win the Region 1-7A softball championship on its home field on Wednesday, denying Colquitt County its second straight title.

After the teams split their first two games of the best-of-three championship series on Tuesday, they met again on Wednesday in a deciding game.

Colquitt had won the first game 3-2 on Tuesday, but the Vikettes evened the series in the next game, winning 10-8.

They continued to score plenty of runs again on Wednesday, winning 9-0.

After a scoreless first inning, Lowndes got three in the bottom of the second, five in the third and added a final run in the bottom of the fourth.

When Lowndes starting pitcher Jolee Camp held the Lady Packers scoreless in the top of the fifth, the game was called by the run-rule.

Camp held the Lady Packers to just three hits: a pair singles by Emily Allegood and another by Katlynn Powers.

Allegood, who was the winning pitcher in Tuesday’s first game, and reliever Maris Hopper could not cool the Lowndes bats, giving up eight hits and also issuing five walks in four innings.

As the region runner-up, the Lady Packers, now 17-10, will play host to a first-round series beginning next Tuesday against the No. 3 team from Region 4.

Colquitt County coach Chance Pitts said Region 4 was determining its seeding on Wednesday and he would know on Thursday who his team’s first-round opponent would be.

The Lady Packers advanced to the state’s Elite Eight last year after winning the region.

Lowndes will play host to the No. 4 team from Region 4. The Vikettes will take a 21-7 record into the postseason.