HATTIESBURG – Mason Irby drove in five runs as Jones County Junior College whipped Mississippi Gulf Coast 13-3 in game two of a doubleheader here Tuesday at Milton Wheeler Field on the campus of William Carey University.
JCJC took the opener, 9-1.
JCJC is now 30-2 overall and leads the MACJC with a 13-1 record. MGCCC falls to 16-12 and 6-6.
Jones got on the board in the first inning.
Clint Sasser was hit by a pitch to start the game, stole second and went to third on a flyout by Shelton Wallace. Irby drove Sasser in with a single and Tanner Huddleston reached on an error. Erick Hoard's fielder's choice grounder scored Irby.
MGCCC scored a run in the second, but JCJC answered with three runs in the third.
Sasser led off with a single, advanced to second on a passed ball and to third on a wild pitch. Wallace drew a walk and stole second. Irby drove in both runners with a single. After Huddleston walked, Hoard's RBI double made it 5-1. Hoard has 42 RBIs on the season, which ties him for ninth nationally.
JCJC went up 8-1 in the fourth.
Fred Franklin led off with a single and Sasser and Wallace walked to load the bases. Irby's sacrifice fly scored Franklin. Sasser and Wallace each advanced on a double steal and both scored on a double by Huddleston. Sasser has 31 stolen bases on the year, which ties him for second nationally.
The Bobcats scored twice in the sixth when Wallace reached first on a dropped third strike and Irby doubled him home. Huddleston then tripled to score Irby and make it 10-1.
JCJC took a 13-1 lead in the top of the seventh.
Jonathan Parker led off with a single and was replaced by courtesy runner John Alan Wall. After Marcus Hardy walked, Franklin singled to load the bases.
Wall scored on a passed ball and Wallace singled to score Hardy and Franklin.
The Bulldogs scored twice in the bottom of the seventh.
Southern Miss commit Calder Mikell, 6-1, went the first four innings and posted the win. He gave up an unearned run, four hits, walked four and struck out one. His six wins tie him for sixth nationally for most victories.
Reed Michel tossed two innings, allowed no runs, one hit, walked two and struck out one. Tristan Labove pitched an inning and gave up two runs, one hit, walked two and struck out one.
Irby doubled, singled twice and had five RBIs. The Southern Miss signee now has 43 RBIS on the season, which ties him for sixth nationally. Huddleston tripled, doubled and had three RBIs. Franklin singled twice, Hoard doubled and Sasser, Wallace, Parker and Dalton Skelton each singled.
Marcus Buckley, Justin Nussbaum, Slater McCarty, Brian Lane, Brycen Burge and Michael Shubert each singled for the Bulldogs.
Ethan Necaise was the starter and loser. He went 3 1/3 innings, allowed eight runs (seven earned), five hits, walked four and struck out two. Harper Arnold and Brandon Kennedy also pitched for MGCCC.
The Bobcats travel to Itawamba for a 2 p.m. doubleheader on April 9. Both of those games will air on www.letsgoicctv.com. JCJC hosts Pearl River in a 3 p.m. doubleheader on April 13 and those games will air on www.jcjc.tv.
MGCCC goes to Mississippi Delta on April 9.