Mississippi’s representative in the 2014 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Baseball World Series endured a long, but successful, first game.

The Hinds Community College Eagles sat through two weather delays and played well into Sunday morning, but were able to overcome that and finish off Lincoln Land (Ill.) Community College, 14-11, to claim the opener in the in Enid, Okla.

Hinds (36-19), a fellow member of the MCJC South Division along with Pearl River Community College, was slated to face off with Vincennes (Ind.) University at noon on Monday in a second-round winners bracket Game.

The Eagles were set to get underway at 7 p.m. on Saturday evening, but a lightning delay, then weather delay forced the Vincennes/Mesa contest to end at 8:30 p.m. and reset the Hinds/Lincoln Land start time to 9:30 p.m.

After both teams combined for 32 hits and 25 runs, it was nearly 1:30 a.m. before the nearly four-hour affair finally ceased.

Hinds finished with 17 of the 32 hits, led by Quade Smith (Brandon), who reached base in all six of his at-bats after going 3-3 with three walks, four runs scored and two RBI to lead Hinds and earn Player of the Game honors.

The Eagles trailed 6-2 heading into the fourth inning, but exploded for seven runs to take their first lead of the ballgame. Hinds took three of four games from PRCC this season.