ELLISVILLE – Eighth-rated Jones County took a 7-0 lead in the second inning and held on for an 11-8 decision over No. 11 Itawamba here Friday evening at Community Bank Park in game two of a doubleheader.
JCJC took the opener, 3-1.
JCJC is now 31-6 overall and leads the MACJC at 20-2. Itawamba falls to 33-8 and 18-6.
JCJC sent 11 batters to the plate and scored seven runs in the second inning.
Brittany Baty led off the inning with a home run over the centerfield wall. She now has 13 home runs on the year, which ties her for fourth in the nation.
Natalie Hogue and
Autumn Frost followed with singles and
Tylesha Davis reached on a fielder's choice.
Shelby Nelson reached on an error to load the bases and
Jay Harris walked to force in a run.
Kalyn Watts then lined a bases-clearing double to center to give JCJC a 5-0 lead.
Cori McCrary followed with her first home run of the season to put the Lady Bobcats ahead, 7-0.
ICC got on the board in the third when Bree Thompson was hit by a pitch and Taylor Thornton reached on a fielder's choice. Maura Jane Autry reached on infield single and Lane Kennedy reached on a bunt single to load the bases. Alex Brown's groundout scored Thornton.
ICC made it 7-3 in the fourth.
Mamie Hollenhead led off with a home run to center. Addie Thompson drew a walk, Bre Harford singled and Bree Thompson's single scored Addie Thompson.
The Lady Bobcats put two runs on the board in the fourth.
Harris led off with a walk and Watts followed with a double. McCrary's groundout scored Harris and
Kelly Byrd's single drove in Watts.
Itawamba bounced back with five runs in the fifth to get within 9-8.
Kennedy led off with a walk, Brown reached on a fielder's choice and Kaitlin Bradley singled. After Hollenhead reached on a fielder's choice, Addie Thompson followed with a three-run home run to make it 9-6.
Harford then singled and Bree Thompson homered just inside the foul pole to left to bring ICC within a run. Taylor Thornton followed with a single, but was caught stealing when Hogue threw to McCrary.
JCJC scored twice in the bottom of the fifth.
Frost led off with a single and was replaced by pinch-runner
Skyler McLain. McLain stole second and scored on the play when the throw went all the way to the centerfield wall.
With one out in the inning, pinch-hitter
Ashley Valentine drilled a home run to center.
In the top of the sixth, Byrd threw out pinch-hitter Tyler Blevins on a bunt attempt and Kennedy line out to McCrary. Brown doubled with two outs, but Bradley lined out to Hayes, who had entered in relief in the fifth.
Hayes retired the side in order in the seventh.
Watts doubled twice and had three RBIs, while McCrary homered and drove in three runs for Jones. Baty and Valentine homered, while Byrd, Hogue and Frost singled.
Amanda Holliday, 11-4, got the win. She went three-plus innings, allowed three earned runs, five hits, walked one and struck out two.
Haylee Morse pitched 1 2/3 innings, allowed four earned runs, three hits, walked one and struck out two. Hayes pitched 2 1/3 innings and got her first save of the year. She allowed one earned run, three hits, walked none and struck out one.
Bree Thompson homered, singled and had three RBIs for ICC, while Bre Harford had two singles. Addie Thompson homered and drove in three runs with Hollenhead getting a home run. Brown had a double with Kennedy, Bradley, Thornton and Maura Jane Autry adding singles.
Carleigh Mills, 13-2, started and pitched the first two innings and took the loss. Kassidy Hardy pitched two innings, allowed three runs, two hits and walked two. Mills then reentered and pitched the final two innings. For the game, she pitched four innings, allowed eight runs (seven earned), six hits, walked three and struck out two.
The Lady Bobcats visit Northwest for a 2 p.m. doubleheader on April 10, go to Hinds for a 2 p.m. doubleheader on April 13 and end the regular season at home with a 2 p.m. doubleheader on April 16 vs. Coahoma.
Itawamba hosts Holmes on April 13.
Friday's game
Ellisville
Community Bank Park
Game 2
Jones County 11, Itawamba 8
Itawamba (33-8, 18-6) 001 250 0 – 8 11 3
Jones County (31-6, 20-2) 070 220 x – 11 8 0
Carleigh Mills, Cassidy Hardy (3), Mills (5) and Alex Brown.
Amanda Holliday,
Haylee Morse (4),
Rachel Hayes (5) and
Natalie Hogue.
WP-Holliday (11-4).
LP-Mills (13-2).
Sv-Hayes (1).
ICC hitters: Bree Thompson HR, 1B; Bre Harford 2 1B; Mamie Hollenhead HR; Addie Thompson HR; Alex Brown 2B; Lane Kennedy 1B; Kaitlin Bradley 1B; Taylor Thornton 1B; Maura Jane Autry 1B.
JCJC hitters: Kalyn Watts 2 2B;
Brittany Baty HR;
Cori McCrary HR;
Ashley Valentine HR;
Kelly Byrd 1B;
Natalie Hogue 1B;
Autumn Frost 1B.
LOB: ICC-4; JCJC-3.
T-1:52.
