ELLISVILLE – The 2^nd-ranked Jones County Junior College Lady Bobcats enjoyed a special year on the softball diamond.
But the season came to a close in the Region 23 Tournament here Friday night at Community Bank Park.
No. 10 Mississippi Gulf Coast broke a 1-1 tie with five runs in the fifth inning and held on to beat the Lady Bobcats 6-4 in an elimination game. Earlier, MGCCC had ousted top-ranked and defending national champion LSU-Eunice, 3-1.
East Central will now face Mississippi Gulf Coast at 2 p.m. on Saturday for the region title. If MGCCC wins that game, another contest would follow at 4 p.m.
However, both ECCC and MGCCC have qualified for the NJCAA Division II National Tournament May 13-16 at Clinton's Traceway Park.
JCJC ends the year at 41-6.
Lady Bulldogs 6, Lady Bobcats 4
JCJC's Teri Richey and MGCCC's Kaitlin Lee were locked in a 1-1 battle until the bottom of the fifth.
The Lady Bulldogs then sent 10 batters to the plate and scored five runs.
Brittany Cooley led off the inning with a double and took third on a passed ball. Catelyn Williams then grounded the ball to Tori Dew at first base. Dew threw home, but the ball got away from Brittany Seale and Cooley scored to make it 2-1.
Williams advanced to second on the previous play and then went to third on a passed ball. Deborah Elmore delivered an RBI single to left to make it 3-1. Elmore took second on the throw home and advanced to third on Britney Butler's groundout. EmmaLee Roberts walked, but Richey struck out Reagan Prentiss for the second out.
However, Alyssa Hardy and Lee followed with back-to-back RBI singles and Kamryn Theriot doubled another run home to make it 6-1.
But JCJC came back with a strong top of the sixth and got right back in the game.
Dew led off with a home run to left-center. Lauren Holifield doubled to center and Seale doubled to left to score Holifield and make it 6-3.
After two outs were recorded, Kimberly Nilsson came through with a pinch-hit, RBI infield single to score pinch-runner Bridgette Wagner and cut the lead to 6-4. Savannah Lyon reached on an error to put the tying runs on base.
Kalyn Watts then hit a line shot that was snared by third baseman Catelyn Williams to end the inning.
The Lady Bobcats were retired in order in the seventh to end the game.
MGCCC had taken a 1-0 lead in the first when Lee struck out, but reached first on a dropped third strike. Theriot drew a walk and Williams delivered an RBI single.
JCJC tied it in the third when Karla Santiago led off with a double and scored on Dew's single.
Seale doubled and singled twice for JCJC. Dew homered and singled, while Holifield and Santiago each doubled. Lyon and Nilsson added singles.
Richey, 17-2, went 4 2/3 innings and took the loss. She allowed six runs (two earned) and eight hits. She walked four and struck out three. Rachel Hayes pitched 1 1/3 innings, allowed no runs, two hits and walked one.
Hardy, Lee and Butler had two singles each for MGCCC, 43-11. Theriot and Cooley added doubles.
Lee went the distance and posted the win. She gave up four runs (three earned), nine hits, walked none and struck out four.
 

Region 23 Tournament

Ellisville
At Community Bank Park
Friday's linescore
  
Game 5
Mississippi Gulf Coast 6, Jones County 4
Jones County (41-6)          001 003 0 – 4 9 2
Miss. Gulf Coast (43-11)    100 050 x – 6 10 3
Teri Richey, Rachel Hayes (5) and Brittany Seale. Kaitlin Lee and Brittany Cooley. WP-Lee. LP-Richey (17-2). JCJC hitters: Brittany Seale 2B, 2 1B; Tori Dew HR, 1B; Karla Santiago 2B; Lauren Holifield 2B; Savannah Lyon 1B; Kimberly Nilsson 1B. MGCCC hitters: Alyssa Hardy 2 1B; Kaitlin Lee 2 1B; Britney Butler 2 1B; Kamryn Theriot 2B; Brittany Cooley 2B. LOB: JCJC-6; MGCCC-1. T-2:06.
 
Ellisville
At Community Bank Park
Thursday's results
Game 1, East Central 4, LSU-Eunice 3
Game 2, Jones County 13, Mississippi Gulf Coast 2 (6 innings)
Friday's results
Game 3, Mississippi Gulf Coast 3, LSU-Eunice 1
Game 4, East Central 1, Jones County 0 (8 innings)
Game 5, Mississippi Gulf Coast 6, Jones County 4
Saturday's games
Game 6, Championship, East Central vs. Mississippi Gulf Coast, 2 p.m.
Game 7, if necessary, 4 p.m.
 
Notes: Jones County ends the season with a record of 41-6. East Central and Mississippi Gulf Coast will play in the NJCAA Division II National Tournament May 13-16 at Clinton's Traceway Park, regardless of the outcome of Saturday's championship game. LSU-Eunice, the defending national champion, entered the Region 23 Tournament ranked No. 1 in the nation and JCJC entered ranked No. 2. Both were eliminated on Saturday. JCJC is 93-12 over the past two seasons.