PALATKA, Fla. (May 13, 2013) - Nine years ago to the day - May 13, 2014 - Pasco-Hernando State College punched its ticket to the NJCAA Division II Baseball World Series for the first time. In 2022, Florida State College at Jacksonville made its first World Series appearance.

On Saturday, it was St. Johns River State College's turn to make first-time travel plans to Enid, Okla. The Vikings erased deficits of 2-0 and 4-1 to beat Lenoir (N.C.) Community College, 6-4, and claim the NJCAA Division II Baseball South Atlantic District Championship. 

St. Johns River State won the best-of-3 series, two games to none, after a 10-0, five-inning win in Friday's game one put the Vikings on the cusp of the World Series. 

Saturday couldn't have unfolded more inauspiciously for the Vikings. With the bases loaded and one out in their first at-bat, St. Johns River State hit into an inning-ending double play. Starting pitcher Connor McBride, the FCSAA Division II Pitcher of the Year, was pulled after just one inning for precautionary reasons, but not before spotting the Lancers a 2-0 lead. 

The Vikings got a run back in the second but reliever Jude Ard allowed two and the Vikings were suddenly behind 4-1. 

Ard settled down and gave the Vikings 5.1 critical innings out of the bullpen. He struck out five. Combined with Aaron Potter, who recorded the final eight outs, the Lancers went scoreless over the final seven innings. 

St. Johns River State finally capitalized in the sixth. RBI-singles from Myles Liggans and Roger Vergara made the score 4-3 and Liggans scored from third on a wild pitch to tie the game. 

Liggans was also in the middle of the go-ahead rally in the eighth. His single to center scored Nathan Gagnon, and he later scored again on a wild pitch to give the Vikings a 6-4 lead. 

The Vikings (44-17) will await their seed in the NJCAA Division II World Series, which begins May 27.