ELLISVILLE – Top-ranked Jones County Junior College slugged four home runs and received a stellar relief effort in the circle from Rachel Hayes and defeated East Central 9-4 in game two of a doubleheader here Friday evening at Community Bank Park.
JCJC is now 12-0 overall and 2-0 in the MACJC South Division. The Lady Bobcats visit Mississippi Gulf Coast on Tuesday.
ECCC falls to 12-4 overall and 0-2 in the division. The Lady Warriors host Meridian on Tuesday.
Hayes entered with one out in the third inning. She would strike out nine the rest of the way (4 2/3 innings), allowing one earned run, two hits and one walk, as she improved to 2-0.
Offensively, JCJC got home runs from Brittany Seale, Lauren Holifield, Tori Dew and Rebecca Monceaux.
ECCC took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but JCJC answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning.
Kalyn Watts led off with a walk and was sacrificed by Monceaux. She advanced all the way to third on the play and scored on Dew's single.
Seale then ripped her second home run of the day to give JCJC a 3-1 lead.
The Lady Warriors tied the game in the second inning with two runs.
The Lady Bobcats regained the lead in the third when Dew hit an opposite field home run to make it 4-3.
ECCC tied the game in the fourth on a home run by Mahalia Gibson.
It stayed tied until the bottom of the fifth when Monceaux led off the inning with a home run. After Dew walked, Holifield hit her ninth home run of the season – a two-run shot to right – to give the Lady Bobcats a 7-4 lead.
In the bottom of the sixth, Jay Harris led off with a double and scored on Watts' double. Dew's sacrifice fly would eventually score Watts.
Monceaux, Dew and Holifield each homered and singled for the Lady Bobcats, with Dew driving in three runs. Seale also homered, while Watts, Harris and Karla Santiago each doubled.
Teri Richey started for JCJC. She went 2 1/3 innings, allowed three runs (none earned), three hits and walked three.
Gibson homered and singled for ECCC, while Caitlyn Aldous, Holsonback and Anna Katherine Nowell added singles.
Chloe Thaggard went the distance and took the loss. She allowed nine runs (all earned), 10 hits, walked four and struck out two.
 
Friday's game
Ellisville
At Community Bank Park
Game 2
Jones County 9, East Central 4
East Central (12-4, 0-2)     120 100 0 – 4 5 0
Jones County (12-0, 2-0)    201 032 x – 9 10 2
Chloe Thaggard and Karoline Holsonback. Teri Richey, Rachel Hayes (3) and Brittany Seale. WP – Hayes (2-0). LP – Thaggard. ECCC hitters: Mahalia Gibson HR, 1B; Caitlyn Aldous 1B; Holsonback 1B; Anna Katherine Nowell 1B. JCJC hitters: Rebecca Monceaux HR, 1B; Lauren Holifield HR, 1B; Tori Dew HR, 1B; Brittany Seale HR; Karla Santiago 2B; Kalyn Watts 2B; Jay Harris 2B. LOB – ECCC – 8; JCJC – 5. T – 2:21.