ELLISVILLE – The 5
th-ranked Jones County Junior College Lady Bobcats are one win away from hosting the MACJC Tournament.
JCJC blanked Pearl River 8-0 in five innings here Friday evening in Game 1 of the opening round MACJC best-of-three playoff series here at Community Bank Park.
Game 2 will be played at 1 p.m. Saturday with a third game, if necessary, immediately after Game 2. The games will air on
www.jcjc.tv.
If the Lady Bobcats clinch the series, they would host the State Tournament April 29-May 1.
JCJC got another quality performance from pitcher
Rachel Hayes, as they rolled to their 11th straight victory.
Hayes, a sophomore from Ocean Springs, allowed only an infield single, struck out seven and walked five, as she improved to 20-1.
The Lady Bobcats took control of the game in the bottom of the first inning.
Kalyn Watts led off with a bunt single and was sacrificed to second by
Cori McCrary.
Kelly Byrd was then hit by a pitch.
Brittany Baty then ripped a single to the centerfield wall to score Watts. Byrd advanced to third, but Baty was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double.
After
Natalie Hogue drew a walk, Hayes followed with a two-run single to make it 3-0.
Autumn Frost then followed with a single.
Ashley Valentine then tripled into the rightfield corner to drive in two more runs and give Jones a 5-0 lead.
Pearl River's best scoring threat came in the fourth inning.
Jackie Shows and Katie Perry walked and Alyssa Croncich sacrificed the runners. Mary Grace Key walked to load the bases, but Hayes got strikeouts of Branda Northrop and pinch-hitter Brooke Barnes to end the inning.
The Lady Bobcats added three runs in the fourth inning.
Watts and Byrd drew walks and advanced on an error. Baty then followed with a two-run single and took second on an error. Hogue's single scored courtesy runner
Haylee Morse.
Baty singled twice and drove in three runs. Valentine tripled with Watts, Hogue, Hayes and Frost adding singles. Valentine and Hayes each had two RBIs.
Kristen Martin got Pearl River's only hit with an infield single in the first inning.
Skylar Cook went the first 2/3 of an inning and took the loss. She allowed five earned runs, five hits and walked one. Jackie Shows went the final 3 1/3 innings, allowed three runs (two earned), two hits, walked four and struck out one.
Pearl River is now 24-22 on the season.
Friday's game
Ellisville
Community Bank Park
MACJC Best-of-3 playoffs
Game 1
Jones County 8, Pearl River 0
(5 innings)
Pearl River (24-22) 000 00 – 0 1 2
Jones County (38-6) 500 3x – 8 7 2
Skylar Cook, Jackie Shows (1) and Brianna Leonard.
Rachel Hayes and
Natalie Hogue.
WP-Hayes (20-1).
LP-Cook (11-9).
PRCC hitters: Kristen Martin 1B.
JCJC hitters: Brittany Baty 2 1B;
Ashley Valentine 3B;
Kalyn Watts 1B;
Natalie Hogue 1B;
Rachel Hayes 1B;
Autumn Frost 1B.
LOB: PRCC-8. JCJC-4.
T-1:42.
