CLARKSDALE – The 2^nd-ranked Jones County Junior College Bobcats won the MACJC regular season title here Thursday afternoon at the Eddie C. Smith Sports Complex.
But it was not easy.
The Bobcats rallied from a 5-3 deficit with two outs in the ninth inning and beat Coahoma 7-5 in Game 1 to officially clnch the crown.
Jonathan Parker led off the top of the ninth with a single and was replaced by courtesy runner Josh Keel. Pinch-hitter Marcus Hardy followed with a single and Fred Franklin was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
After a pop out and a strikeout, Mason Irby stepped to the plate and ripped a 3-1 pitch into centerfield to score Keel and pinch-runner Dylan Dover and tie the game at 5-5.
Tanner Huddleston followed with a two-run double to give the Bobcats the lead.
Reliever Jay Simpson then struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth to preserve the win.
JCJC had taken a 1-0 lead in the first when Shelton Wallace singled, stole second and third and scored on Irby's sacrifice fly.
The Bobcats went up 2-0 in the third when Clint Sasser drew a one-out walk, stole second and third and scored on a throwing error.
Coahoma scored three runs in the bottom of the third to take a 3-2 lead.
JCJC tied it in the sixth when Huddleston reached on an error, advanced to second on a passed ball and scored on Parker's double.
But the Tigers regained the lead with a run in the bottom of the sixth and a run in the bottom of the eighth.
Simpson, 2-0, went the final 1 1/3 innings, struck out all four batters he faced and earned the win.
Starter Mason Strickland pitched five innings, allowed three earned runs, five hits, walked four and struck out one. Reed Michel pitched an inning, allowed one run, one hit, walked three and struck out one. T.J. Hollis pitched 1 2/3 innings, allowed one run (unearned), two hits, walked one and struck out two.
Parker doubled twice and singled for the Bobcats, while Huddleston doubled. Wallace, Irby, Erick Hoard and Hardy added singles.
Kris Peet went eight-plus innings for the Tigers. He gave up five runs (three earned), six hits, walked four and struck out three. Jake Streater came in and pitched 2/3 of an inning and took the loss. He allowed two runs, two hits and struck out one. Preston Upshaw pitched 1/3 of an inning and got a strikeout.
Lowell Haley and Tyler Crouch had two singles each for Coahoma with Landon Fullilove, Hayden Tapper, Tanner White and Wesley Dew adding singles.