GULF SHORES, Alabama – Third-ranked Jones County Junior College improved to 2-0 with a 5-3 victory over Pensacola State (Florida) here Friday afternoon in the Sun Chief Classic.
Kelly Byrd (Copiah Academy) hit her second home run of the day and Karli Perque (Westwego, Louisiana) went the distance to lead the Lady Bobcats to the win.
JCJC took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Simone McKinney (Harrison Central) walked and Cori McCrary (Carroll Academy) singled. After Frost (East Webster) reached on a fielder's choice, McKinney scored from third on a pickoff attempt.
Pensacola St. took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third.
Shelby Thornsberry walked and Kacie Cahill singled. Emily Corbett then doubled both runners home.
The Lady Bobcats regained the lead in the bottom of the third when McCrary singled and Byrd followed with a two-run homer to center to make it 3-2. Frost then singled, Brittany Baty (Northeast Lauderdale) walked and Emily Robinson's (Lafayette) single scored Frost to make it 4-2.
The Pirates made it 4-3 in the fifth when Thornsberry and Lia Johnson singled. After a sacrifice, Cahill singled to drive in Thornsberry. But Perque got a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning.
Jones got the run back in the bottom of the inning.
Baty led off with a walk and was replaced by pinchrunner Sarah Brock (North Pike). Natalie Hogue (Harrison Central) singled and Robinson followed with a sacrifice. Brock then scored on a passed ball.
Perque allowed three runs, six hits, walked one and struck out five.
Byrd homered and singled and McCrary singled twice for Jones. McKinney, Frost, Hogue and Robinson added singles.
Cahill singled twice for the Pirates. Corbett and Jensen Strickland doubled with Thornsberry and Johnson adding singles.
Erika Greek went the distance and took the loss. She gave up five runs, eight hits, walked three and struck out none.
Pensacola St. is now 8-6 on the year.