CLINTON – No. 3 seed Jones County defeated No. 2 seed Kirkwood Community College (Iowa) 7-6 here Friday afternoon in a winner's bracket game of the NJCAA Division II National Tournament at Traceway Park.
JCJC, 48-6, won its 21st straight game and advanced to meet LSU-Eunice late Friday afternoon in a matchup of the only two tournament unbeatens.
Kirkwood dropped to 58-5.
JCJC held a five-run lead entering the bottom of the seventh inning and held off Kirkwood at the end.
The Lady Bobcats took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when
Kalyn Watts led off with a double and
Cori McCrary singled.
Kelly Byrd's fielder's choice brought home Watts.
It stayed that way until the fifth when the Lady Bobcats took a 4-0 lead.
Watts led off with a bunt single. McCrary bunted, the Eagles threw the ball away, Watts scored and McCrary ended up at second. Byrd then singled and
Brittany Baty bunted and reached on an error to load the bases.
Natalie Hogue's sacrifice fly scored McCrary. Hayes then hit a bloop single that landed in the middle of the infield and drove in Byrd.
Kirkwood got on the board in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, Emilee Meyer was hit by a pitch and Taylor Nearad followed with a two-run home run to make it 4-2.
Watts smashed a one-out home run in the top of the sixth to give the Lady Bobcats a 5-2 lead.
JCJC added two huge insurance runs in the top of the seventh when Baty led off with a single and
Natalie Hogue followed with a home run to give the Lady Bobcats a 7-2 lead.
Kirkwood made it interesting in the bottom of the seventh.
Katelyn Holub and Teagan Toft singled to start the inning and Meyer walked to load the bases with no outs.
Nearad's sacrifice fly scored Holub. Hayes then struck out Lexi Ferrari for the second out. But Maddie Hansen then hit a three-run home run to centerfield to cut the lead to one.
Hayes then struck out Gabi Carter to end the game.
Hayes went the distance and got the win, improving to 30-1. She allowed six earned runs, five hits, walked three and struck out 12.
Watts homered, doubled and singled, while McCrary and Hayes had two singles each. Hogue homered and Byrd, Baty and
Autumn Frost singled.
Lexi Kinnaird started and took the loss for Kirkwood. She allowed five runs (two earned), eight hits, walked two and struck out three in 5 1/3 innings. Allie Mengler pitched the final two innings, allowed two earned runs, three hits and struck out one.
Nearad and Hansen homered for the Eagles, while Carter, Holub and Toft added singles.
NJCAA Division II National Tournament
Clinton
Traceway Park
Friday's game
Jones County 7, Kirkwood (Iowa) 6
Jones County (48-6) 001 031 2 – 7 11 0
Kirkwood (58-5) 000 020 4 – 6 5 2
Rachel Hayes and
Natalie Hogue. Lexi Kinnaird, Allie Mengler (6) and Maddie Hansen.
WP-Hayes (30-1).
LP-Kinnaird.
JCJC hitters: Kalyn Watts HR, 2B, 1B;
Cori McCrary 2 1B;
Rachel Hayes 2 1B;
Natalie Hogue HR;
Kelly Byrd 1B;
Brittany Baty 1B;
Autumn Frost 1B.
KCC hitters: Taylor Nearad HR; Maddie Hansen HR; Gabi Carter 1B; Katelyn Holub 1B; Teagan Toft 1B.
LOB: JCJC-8; KCC-4.
T-1:58.
