JACKSON – Meridian defeated No. 2 Jones County 4-1 in the regular season finale for both teams here Tuesday afternoon in the second game of a twinbll at Smith-Wills Stadium.
The Bobcats won the opener, 5-4.
JCJC ends regular season play at 41-5 overall and 24-4 and in first place in the MACJC. Meridian is 37-9 overall and finishes second in the conference at 20-8.
Both teams will host opening round MACJC best-of-three playoff series on Friday and Saturday.
The Bobcats will entertain No. 8 seed Mississippi Delta, while Meridian meets No. 7 seed Itawamba.
The seven-inning game was scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning when the Eagles scored four runs.
Trace Hamby reached on an infield hit to start the inning and Jaylon Keyes singled. Nate Romans reached on an error, which allowed Hamby to score. A groundout by Kyle Bayles drove in Keys and a sacrifice fly by Luke Craig scored Romans.
Eason Weeks then doubled and Blake Fields singled him home.
JCJC made it interesting in the top of the seventh.
With the bases empty and two outs,
Marcus Hardy and
Fred Franklin walked and
Shelton Wallace singled to load the bases.
Mason Irby drew a walk to force in a run.
But a flyout ended the game.
Logan Robbins started for Jones, went three innings, allowed one hit and struck out five.
Calder Mikell pitched an inning and struck out the side.
Tristan Labove pitched 2/3 of an inning, allowed one hit, one walk and struck out two.
Brayden Hodge, 0-1, went an inning and was charged with the loss. He allowed four runs (two earned) and three hits.
Tyler Spring pitched final 1/3 of an inning.
Erick Hoard doubled with Franklin,
Shelton Wallace and
Chris Richardson adding singles.
Bukhari Brown, the third of four MCC pitchers, got the win. In one inning, he allowed one earned run, one hit and walked two. Caleb Yarborough went the final 1/3 inning, walked one and got the save.
Starter Hunter Mullis went two innings, allowed no hits, walked one and struck out one. Carter Sims pitched 3 2/3 innings, allowed no runs, three hits, walked one and struck out two.
Blake Fields doubled and singled for MCC, while Weeks doubled. Keys and Chase Coker singled.
