ELLISVILLE – An eight-run first inning keyed No. 2 Jones County to a 15-12 victory over Northwest Thursday night in the opening round of the MACJC Tournament here at Community Bank Park.
The Bobcats got a five-RBI performance from
Fred Franklin and an effective long relief performance from
Will Brand to complete the victory.
JCJC, 44-5, will face No. 14 East Central, 35-15, at 6 p.m. on Friday in a winner's bracket game. The Warriors outslugged No. 11 Meridian 19-11 earlier Thursday. Both the Bobcats and Warriors have now qualified for next week's Region 23 Tournament.
Northwest, 28-18, and Meridian, 39-11, meet in a 2 p.m. loser's bracket game on Friday. The winner of that game will also qualify for the regional, while the season ends for the loser.
JCJC sent 12 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first inning.
Clint Sasser led off with a walk, went to second on a wild pitch and to third on
Shelton Wallace's infield single.
Mason Irby's single to left scored Sasser and
Tanner Huddleston's single to right loaded the bases.
Erick Hoard reached on a fielder's choice, but Wallace was thrown out at home plate.
John Alan Wall then singled and
Dalton Skelton was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Jonathan Parker's infield single scored a run and Franklin followed with a two-run double to the wall in centerfield. Sasser delivered a two-run single to score courtesy runner
Chris Richardson and Franklin and make it 8-0.
But the Rangers got right back in the game with a six-run second inning.
Aaron Campbell and David Herrington singled and Jamell Newson walked to load the bases. Cody Cooper followed with an RBI single and Jake McPhail walked with the bases loaded to force in a run. LeeMarcus Boyd singled in a run to make it 8-3.
Hunter Wilson then hit a sacrifice fly to center to score courtesy runner Hunter Bishop. McPhail scored on a throwing error back to the infield and Boyd would score on the same play to make it 8-6.
The Rangers closed within 8-7 in the third when Campbell doubled and scored on Newson's single.
JCJC would increase the lead in third when Parker walked, Franklin reached on an infield single, Sasser walked and Wallace cleared the bases with a three-run double to left-center, giving the Bobcats an 11-7 lead.
Northwest made it 11-8 in the fourth when Aleck Hobson walked, took second on a wild pitch and scored on Wilson's single to the leftfield corner. Wallace threw out Wilson trying to stretch the hit into a double.
The Bobcats would take a 14-8 lead in the fourth inning.
Hoard led off with a double and Wall reached on a bunt single. Skelton doubled down the leftfield line to score Hoard and Franklin would deliver a two-run single.
The Rangers got a walk from Ryan Skalnik, a single by Campbell and a walk to Herrington to load the bases with no outs in the fifth. Newson followed with an RBI single. After a strikeout, McPhail and Hobson followed with run-scoring singles to make it 14-11.
Brand then got Boyd to hit into a 6-4-3 (Skelton to Sasser to Hoard) double play to end the inning.
Northwest pulled within 14-12 in the seventh when Herrington led off with a double, was balked to third and scored on a wild pitch.
Franklin got that run back when he led off the bottom of the seventh with a home run over the leftfield wall.
The Rangers got the tying runs on base in the ninth.
Campbell singled and Herrington was hit by a pitch. After a strikeout, Cooper reached on an infield single. But Brand got a strikeout and a pop up to end the game.
Brand, 3-0, went the final five innings and got the victory. He allowed one run, eight hits, walked none and struck out eight.
Starter
Mason Strickland went 2 1/3 innings, allowed seven runs (five earned), seven hits and walked two.
Jay Simpson pitched 1 2/3 innings, gave up four earned runs, five hits, walked three and struck out one.
Franklin homered, doubled and singled twice for the Bobcats, while Wallace doubled, singled and had three RBIs. Wall had two singles with Hoard and Skelton getting doubles. Sasser, Irby, Huddleston and Parker had singles.
Colt Smith, 4-2, started, went 1/3 of an inning and took the loss. He allowed eight runs, seven hits and walked one. Hunter Lacefield pitched 2 2/3 innings, allowed six earned runs, five hits, walked two and struck out three. Austin Towles pitched five innings, gave up one earned run, two hits, walked one and struck out eight.
Campbell went 5-for-5 with a double and four singles for the Rangers, while Wilson had three singles. Herrington doubled and singled with Newson and Cooper getting two singles each. Boyd, McPhail and Hobson added singles.
MACJC Tournament
Ellisville
Community Bank Park
Thursday's game
Jones County 15, Northwest 12
Northwest (28-18) 061 130 100 – 12 17 3
Jones County (44-5) 803 300 10x – 15 14 1
Colt Smith, Hunter Lacefield (1), Austin Towles (4) and Cody Cooper.
Mason Strickland,
Jay Simpson (3),
Will Brand (5) and
Jonathan Parker.
WP-Brand (3-0).
LP-Smith (4-2).
Northwest hitters: Aaron Campbell 2B, 4 1B; Hunter Wilson 3 1B; David Herrington 2B, 1B; Jamell Newson 2 1B; Cody Cooper 2 1B; LeeMarcus Boyd 1B; Jake McPhail 1B; Aleck Hobson 1B.
JCJC hitters: Fred Franklin HR, 2B, 2 1B;
Shelton Wallace 2B, 1B;
John Alan Wall 2 1B;
Erick Hoard 2B;
Dalton Skelton 2B;
Clint Sasser 1B;
Mason Irby 1B;
Tanner Huddleston 1B;
Jonathan Parker 1B. LOB: Northwest-6; JCJC-4.
T-3:07.
MACJC Tournament
Ellisville
Community Bank Park
May 12 results
Game 1, East Central 19, Meridian 11
Game 2, Jones County 15, Northwest 12
May 13 games
Game 3, Meridian vs. Northwest, 2 p.m.
Game 4, East Central vs. Jones County, 6 p.m.
May 14 games
Game 5, Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 2 p.m.
Game 6, Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 6 p.m.
May 15 game
Game 7, If necessary, 2 p.m.
