CLINTON –
Brittany Hagwood belted a grand slam to key a seven-run second inning and Jones County went on to defeat defending national champion Kankakee Community College (Illinois) 12-4 in six innings here Thursday afternoon at Traceway Park in the NJCAA Division II National Tournament.
Hagwood, a freshman from Enterprise, had no home runs and one RBI on the season entering the game. But that changed with one swing of the bat in the second.
After Kankakee closed within 7-4 in the fifth inning, JCJC ended the game with a five-run sixth.
It was JCJC's 20
th straight victory.
Rachel Hayes, 29-1, went the distance and got the win. She allowed four earned runs, eight hits, walked two and struck out three.
Natalie Hogue had a one-out single in the second inning for JCJC.
Autumn Frost singled and Hayes singled to score Hogue to make it 1-0.
Ashley Valentine then singled to load the bases and set the stage for Hagwood.
On a 3-1 pitch, Hagwood homered over the leftfield fence to give JCJC a 5-0 lead.
Kalyn Watts and
Kelly Byrd had two-out singles and
Brittany Baty doubled to center to drive both runners home and make it 7-0.
Coleen McLaughlin led off the top of the third with a home run to get the Cavaliers on the board. Two outs later, Bailee Porter homered to make it 7-2.
Kankakee pulled within 7-4 in the fourth. Brittany Hay doubled and with two outs, Lindsey Snyder hit a two-run homer to left.
The Lady Bobcats ended the game in the sixth.
Valentine led off with a walk and Hagwood reached on a bunt single. A Watts' single scored pinch-runner
Shelby Nelson and Byrd's single would score Hagwood and Watts to make it 10-4.
After Baty walked, Byrd scored on a wild pitch and pinch-runner
Jay Harris scored on Frost's single to end it.
Hagwood homered, singled and drove in four runs, while Watts had three singles. Byrd, Hogue and Frost had two singles each. Baty had a double with Hayes and Valentine adding singles.
Baylie Ulmark started and took the loss for Kankakee. She went 1 2/3 innings, allowed seven earned runs, seven hits and struck out two. Kaylee Carlen went 3 2/3 innings, allowed three earned runs, six hits, walked two and struck out one. Michaela Ward went 1/3 of an inning, allowed one earned run, one hit and walked one.
Snyder homered and singled, while Hay doubled and singled for Kankakee. McLaughlin and Porter had home runs, while Kyleigh Payne and Jessica Zemaitis added singles.
The Lady Bobcats, the No. 3 seed in the tournament are now 47-6 and meet No. 2 seed Kirkwood (Iowa) at noon on Friday. Kirkwood, 58-4, defeated Highland Community College (Kansas), 6-0. The only other unbeaten teams in the tournament – LSU-Eunice and Labette (Kansas) – will also play at noon Friday.
The tournament is scheduled to end Saturday.
NJCAA Division II Tournament
Clinton
Traceway Park
Thursday's game
Jones County 12, Kankakee (Illinois) 4
(6 innings)
Kankakee (50-9) 002 020 – 4 8 1
Jones County (47-6) 070 005 – 12 14 2
Baylie Ulmark, Kaylee Carlen (2), Michaela Ward (5).
Rachel Hayes and
Natalie Hogue.
WP-Hayes (29-1).
LP-Ulmark.
KCC hitters: Lindsey Snyder HR, 1B; Brittany Hay 2B, 1B; Coleen McLaughlin HR; Bailee Porter HR; Kyleigh Payne 1B; Jessica Zemaitis 1B:
JCJC hitters: Kalyn Watts 3 1B;
Brittany Hagwood HR, 1B;
Kelly Byrd 2 1B;
Natalie Hogue 2 1B;
Autumn Frost 2 1B;
Brittany Baty 2B;
Rachel Hayes 1B;
Ashley Valentine 1B.
LOB: KCC-7; JCJC-3.
T-1:52.
NJCAA Division II National Tournament
Clinton
Traceway Park
Wednesday's results
Game 1, Phoenix (AZ) 10, Potomac St. (WV) 2
Game 2, Labette (KS) 2, Illinois Central 1
Game 3, Des Moines Area (IA) 9, Florence-Darlington Tech (SC) 0
Game 4, LSU-Eunice 16, Mott (MI) 0
Game 5, Jones County 15, Heartland (IL) 0
Game 6, Kankakee (IL) 8, Mercyhurst North East (PA) 5
Game 7, Highland (KS) 4, Lansing (MI) 0
Game 8, Kirkwood (IA) 8, Illinois Valley 7
Thursday's results
Game 9, Illinois Central 4, Potomac State 0
Game 10, Mott 10, Florence-Darlington Tech 2
Game 11, Mercyhurst North East 9, Heartland 6
Game 12, Lansing 11, Illinois Valley 3
Game 13, Labette 6, Phoenix 3
Game 14, LSU-Eunice 10, Des Moines Area 1
Game 15, Jones County 12, Kankakee 4
Game 16, Kirkwood 6, Highland 0
Game 17, Phoenix 4, Lansing 3
Game 18, Des Moines Area 9, Mercyhurst North East 0
Game 19, Kankakee 10, Mott 1
Game 20, Illinois Central 11, Highland 6
Friday's games
Game 21, Labette vs. LSU-Eunice, noon
Game 22, Jones County vs. Kirkwood, noon
Game 23, Illinois Central vs. Kankakee, noon
Game 24, Des Moines Area vs. Phoenix, noon
Game 25, Winner G23 vs. Loser G21, 2 p.m.
Game 26, Winner G24 vs. Loser G22, 2 p.m.
Game 27, Winner G21 vs. Winner G22, 4 p.m.
Game 28, Winner G25 vs. Winner G26, 6 p.m.
Saturday's games
Game 29, Winner G28 vs. Loser G27, 11:30 a.m.
Game 30, Winner G27 vs. Winner G29, 1:30 p.m.
Game 31, Winner G30 vs. Loser G30, if necessary, 3:30 p.m.
