ELLISVILLE – It was a pitcher's duel in the Region 23 Tournament winner's bracket game here Friday afternoon at Community Bank Park.
The 11th-ranked East Central Community College Lady Warriors finally broke through in the bottom of the eighth inning and edged 2nd-rated Jones County Junior College, 1-0.
The win puts East Central into Saturday's championship game and also assures them of a berth in the NJCAA Division II National Tournament May 13-16 at Clinton's Traceway Park.
JCJC plays Mississippi Gulf Coast in an elimination game on Friday night. The winner of that game will face East Central for the tourney title and will also qualify for next week's national tournament.
MGCCC ousted defending national champion and top-ranked LSU-Eunice earlier in the day.
Lady Warriors 1, Lady Bobcats 0
(8 innings)
Both teams had their opportunities, but the Lady Warriors finally broke through in the bottom of the eighth.
Leadoff batter Mallory Turner led off with an infield single. Maegen Ellis then grounded out to second base, but Turner was able to take second on the play.
Mahalia Gibson then ripped a single to left to score Turner with the game's only run.
Until then, it was a classic pitcher's battle between JCJC's Rachel Hayes and ECCC's Chloe Thaggard.
Hayes allowed one run, five hits, walked three and struck out five in 7 1/3 innings. She took the tough-luck loss to fall to 13-2.
Thaggard pitched all eight innings for the Lady Warriors to record the win. She allowed six hits, walked four and struck out two.
JCJC had a chance to take the lead in the fourth inning.
Lauren Holifield doubled to center. With two outs, Kimberly Nilsson singled to center, but ECCC's Katlyn Duke threw a strike to catcher Karoline Holsonback and Holifield was out at the plate.
In the fifth, JCJC got back-to-back one-out singles from Hayes and Savannah Lyon. Kalyn Watts then hit a deep drive to center that Duke hauled in for the second out. Monceaux then flied out to center to end the inning.
In the top of the eighth, Watts led off with a bunt single and was sacrificed to second by Monceaux. Tori Dew draw a walk to put runners on first and second. Holifield flied out to center, but Brittany Seale drew a walk to load the bases.
However, Thaggard got Nilsson to fly out to center to end the threat.
Holifield doubled, while Watts, Monceaux, Nilsson, Hayes and Lyon each singled for JCJC.
Turner had three singles for ECCC, while Gibson and Caitlyn Aldous added singles.
The Lady Warriors are now 42-10.
 

Region 23 Tournament

Ellisville
At Community Bank Park
Friday's linescore
 
Game 4
East Central 1, Jones County 0
(8 innings)
Jones County (41-5)          000 000 00 – 0 6 2
East Central (42-10)           000 000 01 – 1 5 1
Rachel Hayes and Brittany Seale. Chloe Thaggard and Karoline Holsonback. WP-Thaggard. LP-Hayes (13-2). JCJC hitters: Lauren Holifield 2B; Kalyn Watts 1B; Rebecca Monceaux 1B; Kimberly Nilsson 1B; Rachel Hayes 1B; Savannah Lyon 1B. ECCC hitters: Mallory Turner 3 1B; Mahalia Gibson 1B; Caitlyn Aldous 1B. LOB: JCJC-8. ECCC-6. T-2:05.