Baseball | 3/4/2017 7:17:00 AM
ELLISVILLE –
Erick Hoard's (Brandon) third home run of the day gave No. 1 Jones County Junior College the lead for good in the fifth inning as the Bobcats rallied for a 5-4 victory over Illinois Central here Friday afternoon at Community Bank Park.
The Bobcats, 14-0, will now play its next eight doubleheaders on the road, beginning with a trip to Jackson on Monday to play the Millsaps College Junior Varsity in a 3 p.m. twinbill. JCJC will not play at home again until April 8 against Itawamba.
Illinois Central took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, but JCJC came back for the win.
ICC's Chet Merrit led off with a single and stole second. Michael Lowery was hit by a pitch and Alex Peters walked to load the bases.
Austin Ulick's fielder's choice drove in Merrit and Anthony Beruman walked to load the bases. Jimmy McCaughey's single scored two runs.
The Bobcats cut the lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the first when Shelton Wallace (Northwest Rankin) singled and Tanner Huddleston (George County) tripled.
Jonathan Parker (New Orleans, Louisiana) then had an RBI double.
Wallace led off the bottom of the third with a home run to center to tie it at 3-3.
It stayed that way until the bottom of the fifth when Hoard hit a 1-1 pitch over the centerfield wall for his fifth home run of the year to give Jones a 4-3 lead.
The Bobcats added an important run in the bottom of the sixth.
Tate Pepper (Ocean Springs) singled and courtesy runner
Jacob Vick (East Central) went to second on a wild pitch.
Caleb Ledet's (Houma, Louisiana) single put runners at first and third and Franklin's sacrifice fly drove in Vick.
The Cougars got within 5-4 in the top of the seventh when Lowery hit his second home run of the day.
With two outs, Jack Cunningham singled, but reliever
Will Freeman (Semmes, Alabama), got McCaughey to pop out and end the game.
Logan Robbins (George County) went the first five innings and got the win. He allowed three runs, five hits, walked two and struck out six as he improved to 4-0. Freeman went the final two innings, allowed one run, three hits, walked one and struck out two.
Wallace homered and singled, while Parker doubled and singled. Both had two RBIs. Hoard homered, Huddleston tripled, Jacob Hiatt (Petal) doubled and Pepper and Ledet added singles.
Tanner Rhodes went the first 4 2/3 innings and took the loss for ICC. He gave up four runs, six hits, walked two and struck out two. Will Boettcher tossed the final 1 1/3 innings, allowed one run and three hits.
McCaughey had two singles, while Lowery homered for the Cougars. Merrit, Ulick, Cunningham, Shawn Harrison and Ben Main added singles.
Illinois Central, 3-3, goes to Mississippi Gulf Coast on Saturday.
Friday's game
Ellisville
Community Bank Park
Game 2
Jones County 5, Illinois Central 4
Illinois Central (3-3) 300 000 1 – 4 8 0
Jones County (14-0) 201 011 x – 5 9 0
Tanner Rhodes, Will Boettcher (5) and Alex Peters.
Logan Robbins,
Will Freeman (6) and
Tate Pepper.
WP-Robbins (4-0).
LP-Rhodes.
Sv-Freeman (1).
ICC hitters: Jimmy McCaughey 2 1B; Michael Lowery HR; Chet Merrit 1B; Austin Ulick 1B; Jack Cunningham 1B; Shawn Harrison 1B; Ben Main 1B.
JCJC hitters: Shelton Wallace HR, 1B;
Jonathan Parker 2B, 1B;
Erick Hoard HR;
Tanner Huddleston 3B;
Jacob Hiatt 2B;
Tate Pepper 1B;
Caleb Ledet 1B.
LOB: ICC-9; JCJC-6.
T-1:48.
