The Indy Eleven pounded a lackluster cast of Carolina RailHawks 4-1 to win the NASL Spring Title Saturday night.

The RailHawks trotted out a full-strength starting XI, save for the unexpected inclusion of 18-year-old amateur Jeremy Kelly, a member of the Capital Area RailHawks Academy. Kelly, who has been training with the RailHawks all season, made his NASL debut in lieu of an injured Matt Watson and absent James Marcelin, but over recent contributors Billy Schuler, Jonny Orlando and Nick Taitague.

Unsurprisingly, the Indy Eleven was the aggressor. In the 16th minute, a cross from Indy midfielder Nemanja Vukovic found an onrushing Éamon Zayed, who dove beyond wrong-sided left back Paul Black for a header goal and 1-0 lead.

The RailHawks migrated back in the 29th minute, when Nazmi Albadawi unleashed a screamer from 20 yards out that flew across the face of Indy goalkeeper Jon Busch to knot the score at 1-1. It’s Albadawi’s first NASL goal this season, to go with his league-leading four assists.

But Indy regained the advantage in the waning moments of the first half when another cross by Vukovic found an unmarked Justin Braun in the goal box. Braun’s easy putaway gave Indy a 2-1 halftime lead.

Indy renewed its mission with purpose for the second half. In the 65th minute, Zayed got around center back Simon Mensing and on the end of another hopeful cross, this time from Omar Gordon. The Indy striker converted past Carolina keeper Akira Fitzgerald for a 3-1 margin.

The title-clincher came in the 85th minute, when Zayed connected with another uncleared cross from second-half sub Duke Lacroix, bagging a hat trick and the NASL spring season dinner plate.

The three winning points ties Indy and the New York Cosmos at 18 points apiece for the 10-game spring season. The three-goal win gives Indy and New York the same goal differential of +7 and Indy’s four goals scored tonight gives each team 15 total for the spring. The third tiebreaker is head-to-head result, and since Indy Eleven defeated the Cosmos on April 16, Indy all-but clinches the spring season crown, barring an unlikely six-goal win by the Fort Lauderdale Strikers tomorrow at FC Edmonton.

Indy’s presumptive championship also awards them a semifinals home match in the league’s four-team postseason playoffs in October.

If the Carolina RailHawks scored a goal last week against the Jacksonville Armada — or May 22 at FC Edmonton, or May 14 versus Miami FC — the RailHawks would have been playing for the outright NASL spring season championship against the Eleven.

Instead, Carolina’s spring season swoon may have altered its approach to the match with undefeated Indy, a team clinging to a chance to wrest the spring title away from the idle Cosmos based on an abstruse algorithm.

Call it the RailHawks effect.

It’s an embarrassing denouement to a 10-game spring that saw Carolina win their opening four NASL games, then lose four and draw two of their last six, three of them against last-place teams. The RailHawks (4-2-4, 14 pts.) slide to seventh in the NASL table, where they’ll remain until kickoff of the 22-match fall regular season on July 2.

In the meantime, Carolina returns to WakeMed Soccer Park next Wednesday, June 15 to host the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer in the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Next week will find a RailHawks squad in search of Open Cup advancement, its winning form, and its soul.

BOX SCORE

LINEUPS

CAR: Fitzgerald, Beckie Mensing (Moses, 77’), Tobin, Black, Perez, Shipalane (Orlando, 66’), Albadawi (Taitague, 66’), da Luz, Kelly, Shriver

INDY: Busch, Janicki, Falvey (Ubiparipovic, 76’), Franco, Vukovic, Paterson (Lacroix, 63’), Gordon, Larrea (Ring, 89’), Mares, Zayed, Braun

GOALS

CAR: Albadawi, 29’ (Shriver)

INDY: Zayed, 15’ (Vukovic); Braun, 45’ +1 (Vukovic); Zayed, 65’ (Gordon); Zayed, 85’ (Lacroix)

CAUTIONS

CAR: Mensing, 45’

INDY: ---

EJECTIONS

CAR: ---

INDY: ---

ATTENDANCE: 9,341