ELLISVILLE – Second-ranked Jones County got off to a quick start and went on to defeat Mississippi Delta 8-1 here Friday night at Community Bank Park in Game 1 of their best-of-three playoff series.
Game 2 will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday with a third game, if necessary, to follow.
If the Bobcats win the series, they will host the MACJC Tournament May 12-14.
The Bobcats improve to 42-5, while the Trojans are now 27-19-1.
JCJC got all of the offense it would need in the first inning.
Clint Sasser led off with a walk and
Shelton Wallace followed with a double off the wall in dead centerfield.
Mason Irby then lined a single into centerfield to score both runners and give the Bobcats a 2-0 lead.
Tanner Huddleston was then hit by a pitch and
Erick Hoard reached on a fielder's choice.
John Alan Wall followed with a two-run double into center to give the Bobcats a 4-0 lead.
Jones added three runs in the second inning.
Fred Franklin led off with a single and was sacrificed by Sasser. After a groundout, Irby doubled over the leftfielder's head to score Franklin.
Huddleston followed with his seventh home run of the season to center and gave the Bobcats a 7-0 lead.
The Trojans got their only run of the game when Weber Harbison led off the fourth inning with a home run to right-center.
JCJC got that run back in the bottom of the frame when Sasser reached on an error by the third baseman and advanced to second on another error. With two outs, Huddleston hit a deep drive to right-center. The ball bounced over the wall for a ground rule double and scored Sasser.
South Jones freshman righthander
Mason Strickland kept the Trojans in check.
He faced the minimum through the first three innings. After Herbison's home run led off the fourth, Strickland stranded two runners in that inning.
In the sixth, MDCC loaded the bases, but Strickland struck out Wendell Rieves to end the inning.
Strickland, 9-0, allowed one run, four hits, walked two and struck out four in seven innings.
Reed Michel pitched the final two innings, allowed no hits and struck out three.
Huddleston homered, doubled, singled and had three RBIs, while Irby doubled twice, singled and drove in three runs.
Dalton Skelton doubled and singled, while Wallace and Wall doubled. Hoard and Franklin added singles.
Herbison homered for MDCC with Clay LaBeff, Nathan Pilutti and Rieves had singles.
Lee Quates, 5-6, was the starter and loser. He lasted 1/3 of an inning, allowed four earned runs and three hits. DJ Stewart pitched 7 1/3 inning of long relief, allowed four runs (three earned), nine hits, walked two and struck out three. Skyler Lawson got the final out for MDCC pitching.
Friday's game
Ellisville
Community Bank Park
MACJC Playoffs
Game 1
Jones County 8, Mississippi Delta 1
Mississippi Delta (27-19-1) 000 100 000 – 1 4 3
Jones County (42-5) 430 100 00x – 8 12 1
Lee Quates, DJ Stewart (1), Skyler Lawson (8) and Jake Hartman.
Mason Strickland,
Reed Michel (8) and
Jonathan Parker.
WP-Strickland (9-0).
LP-Quates (5-6).
MDCC hitters: Weber Herbison HR; Clay LaBeff 1B; Nathan Pilutti 1B; Wendell Rieves 1B.
JCJC hitters: Tanner Huddleston HR, 2B, 1B;
Mason Irby 2 2B, 1B;
Dalton Skelton 2B, 1B;
Shelton Wallace 2B;
John Alan Wall 2B;
Erick Hoard 1B;
Fred Franklin 1B.
LOB: MDCC-6; JCJC-9.
T-2:41.
