DECATUR – South Jones freshman righthander
Mason Strickland was excellent through eight innings and
Erick Hoard slugged a pair of home runs to lead No. 3 Jones County to an 8-2 upset over top-ranked LSU-Eunice in round one of the Region 23 Tournament here Thursday afternoon at East Central Community College.
Strickland allowed an unearned run in the third inning and gave up a run in the fifth without allowing a hit as he improved to 10-0. He allowed two runs (one earned), five hits, walked three and struck out eight.
Logan Robbins pitched the ninth and gave up one hit.
The Bobcats got off to a good start when
Shelton Wallace was hit by a pitch with one out in the top of the first inning and
Mason Irby followed with a run-scoring double.
The Bengals tied it with an unearned run in the third.
JCJC went up 4-1 in the fourth.
Fred Franklin led off with a bunt single and advanced to second on a throwing error.
Clint Sasser was then hit by a pitch and Wallace sacrificed the runners. Irby drove in Franklin with a fielder's choice and reached base when the throw to first base was dropped.
Tanner Huddleston was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
With two outs,
John Alan Wall came through with a two-run single down the left field line.
LSU-Eunice got a run back in the bottom of the inning on a walk, a steal, a fly ball and a wild pitch.
The Bobcats padded the lead in the seventh when Huddleston had an RBI double and Hoard followed with a two-run home run to make it 7-2.
Hoard sealed it with a solo shot in the top of the ninth. He now has 16 home runs on the season.
Hoard homered twice and had three RBIs, while Wall singled twice and drove in two runs. Irby had a double and two RBIs, while Sasser, Huddleston,
Jonathan Parker and Franklin had singles.
Hunter Feduccia and Michael Claverie had two singles each for LSU-Eunice, while Orynn Veillon and Trenon Trosclair added singles.
Starter Erin Baldwin went six innings and took the loss. He allowed five runs (two earned), six hits, walked one and struck out four. Nick Duthu went 1/3 of an inning, allowed one run and one hit. Travis Cliburn went the final 2 2/3 innings, allowed two earned runs, two hits and walked two.
JCJC, 46-7, will meet East Central at 6 p.m. Friday in a winner's bracket game. The Warriors edged Northwest, 3-2, on Thursday. LSU-Eunice, 50-5, plays Northwest at 2 p.m. on Friday in a loser's bracket game.
The winner of the tournament heads to the NJCAA Division II World Series May 28-June 4 in Enid, Oklahoma.
Region 23 Tournament
Thursday's game
Decatur
East Central Community College
Clark/Gay Baseball Complex
Jones County 8, LSU-Eunice 2
Jones County (46-7) 100 030 301 – 8 9 2
LSU-Eunice (50-5) 001 010 000 – 2 6 3
Mason Strickland,
Logan Robbins (9) and
Jonathan Parker. Erin Baldwin, Nick Duthu (7), Travis Cliburn (7) and Hunter Feduccia.
WP-Strickland (10-0). LP-Baldwin.
JCJC hitters: Erick Hoard 2 HR;
John Alan Wall 2 1B;
Mason Irby 2B;
Tanner Huddleston 2B;
Clint Sasser 1B;
Jonathan Parker 1B;
Fred Franklin 1B.
LSUE hitters: Hunter Feduccia 2 1B; Michael Claverie 2 1B; Orynn Veillon 1B; Trenon Trosclair 1B.
LOB: LSUE-8; JCJC-8.
T-3:01.
Region 23 Tournament
Decatur
East Central Community College
Clark/Gay Baseball Complex
Thursday's results
Game 1, JCJC 8, LSU-Eunice 2
Game 2 East Central 3, Northwest 2
Friday's games
Game 3, LSU-Eunice vs. Northwest, 2 p.m.
Game 4, Jones County vs. East Central, 6 p.m.
Saturday's games
Game 5, Winner G3 vs. Loser G4, 2 p.m.
Game 6, Winner G4 vs. Winner G5, 6 p.m.
Sunday's games
Game 7, if necessary
