ELLISVILLE – Teri Richey was solid in the circle again for the No. 1 Jones County Junior College Lady Bobcats.
Richey pitched 5 2/3 innings and Lauren Holifield betled a critical 3-run home run to lead the Lady Bobcats to a 5-3 victory over 3rd-ranked Illinois Central College here Saturday afternoon in the Gwen Magee Invitational at Community Bank Park.
Through the first 10 games of the season, Holifield now has eight home runs and 27 RBIs.
Richey improved to 5-0 with the victory. She allowed three runs (two earned), eight hits, walked two and struck out three.
Kayleigh Williams went the final 1 1/3 innings and earned her first save of the year. She gave up no runs, one hit and struck out two.
Illinois Central jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Erica Phillips led off with a double, was sacrificed to third and scored on an error.
JCJC tied it in the bottom of the first when Kalyn Watts led off with a bunt single, advanced on an error and scored on Tori Dew's single.
The Lady Bobcats took a 2-1 lead in the fourth when Brittany Seale drew a one-out walk and was replaced by courtesy runner Jay Harris. Kimberly Nilsson's two-out single scored Harris.
In the fiffh, Rebecca Monceaux drew a walk and Dew followed with a single. Holifield then launched a three-run home run over the leftfield fence to make it 5-1.
ICC came back with two runs in the sixth. Alison Haesele singled and Kaleigh McAllister reached on a fielder's choice. After a sacrifice by Ciera Montgomery, Heather Morris and Phillips followed with run-scoring singles.
Williams then entered in relief of Richey and got out of the inning. She allowed a single in the seventh, but used a pair of strikeouts to end the game.
Holifield homered, while Dew singled twice for JCJC. Watts, Seale, Nilsson and Savannah Lyon added singles.
Megan Foes started, went 4 2/3 innings and took the loss. She allowed five runs (four earned), six hits, walked three and struck out none. Rachel Patterson pitched to two batters and walked both of them. Haesele pitched the final 1 1/3 innings and gave up no runs, one hit and struck out one.
Phillips, Morris and Jena Reddig each singled twice for ICC, 1-7, while Foes, Haesele and Joy Treasure added singles.
The Lady Bobcats, 10-0, travel to Itawamba Community College for a 2 p.m. doubleheader on Tuesday.
They open MACJC South Division play with a 3 p.m. home doubleheader on Friday vs. East Central. Both of those games will air on www.jcjc.tv.
Illinois Central does not play again until March 6 in the Trition Invitational in Rosemount, Minnesota.
 
Saturday's game
Gwen Magee Invitational
At Ellisville
Community Bank Park
Jones County 5, Illinois Central 3
Illinois Central (1-8)          100 002 0 – 3 9 1
Jones County (10-0)            100 130 x – 5 7 2
Megan Foes, Rachel Patterson (5), Alison Haesele (5) and Kaleigh McAllister. Teri Richey, Kayleigh Williams (6) and Brittany Seale. WP-Richey (5-0). LP-Foes. Sv-Williams (1). LLCC hitters: Erica Phillips 2B, 1B; Heather Morris 2 1B; Jena Reddig 2 1B; Joy Treasure 1B; Megan Foes 1B; Alison Haesele 1B. JCJC hitters: Tori Dew 2 1B; Lauren Holifield HR; Kalyn Watts 1B; Brittany Seale 1B; Kimberly Nilsson 1B; Savannah Lyon 1B. LOB: ICC-10; JCJC-6. T-1:54.