Softball | 5/10/2017 10:42:00 PM
ELLISVILLE – Top-ranked Jones County Junior College scored five runs in the first inning and went on to defeat No. 6 Itawamba Community College 6-1 in the first round of the Region 23 Tournament here Wednesday evening at Community Bank Park.
JCJC, 48-2, will now face No. 7 Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College at 1 p.m. Thursday in a winner's bracket contest. MGCCC whipped No. 4 and defending national champion LSU-Eunice, 8-1. LSU-Eunice committed nine errors in the game. Itawamba faces LSU-Eunice at 3 p.m. in a loser's bracket game.
The JCJC/MGCCC winner will qualify for the NJCAA Division II National Tournament next week at Traceway Park in Clinton. The top two teams in the regional will make the national tournament.
Thursday's games will air on
www.jcjc.tv.
The Lady Indians had a chance to take an early lead.
In the top of the first inning, Mamie Hollenhead got a two-out double and Kaitlyn Rhodes drew a walk. McKenzie Piper singled sharply to centefield. JCJC's
Kelsha Loftin (Mendenhall) fielded the ball and threw to home plate where catcher
Natalie Hogue (Harrison Central) applied the tag to Hollenhead to end the inning.
The Lady Bobcats then had a big bottom of the first.
Cori McCrary (Carroll Academy) led off with a single to center and was sacrificed to second by Loftin.
Kelly Byrd (Copiah Academy) reached on an infield single and
Autumn Frost (East Webster) followed with an RBI double into the leftfield corner.
Brittany Baty (Northeast Lauderdale) was intentionally walked to load the bases.
Emily Robinson (Lafayette) was then "unintentionally" walked to force a run home and make it 2-0. After a strikeout,
Taylor Murray (Parklane Academy) hit a hard groundball that went between the legs of shortstop Caroline Dickins and rolled all the way to the left-centerfield wall. The error cleared the bases and gave the Lady Bobcats a 5-0 lead.
ICC scored its run in the third when Alex Brown led off with a walk and Meg Sullivan singled to right on a hit and run and sent Brown to third. Rhodes' sacrifice fly to center scored Brown.
The Lady Bobcats got the run back in the bottom of the third when Baty walked and Hogue reached on a fielder's choice. Murray followed with a double into the leftfield corner to score Hogue.
Starter
Karli Perque (Westwego, Louisiana) was credited with the win. She went three innings, allowed one run, three hits, walked two and struck out one. She is now 19-0.
Amanda Holliday (Watson, Louisiana) was sharp over the final four innings. She allowed no runs, one hit, walked one and struck out one.
Byrd had two singles with Loftin getting a triple and Frost and Murray adding doubles. McCrary had a single.
Carleigh Mills pitched the first inning and got the loss. She gave up five runs (two earned), three hits, walked two and struck out two. Grayson Wells pitched three innings, allowed one run, two hits and walked two. Morgan Barrett tossed two innings, allowed no runs, one hit and walked two.
Hollenhead doubled for ICC with Piper, Brown and Meg Sullivan adding singles.
Itawamba is 39-13 on the season.
Region 23 Tournament
Wednesday's game
Jones County 6, Itawamba 1
Itawamba (39-13) 001 000 0 – 1 4 1
Jones County (48-2) 501 000 x – 6 6 0
Carleigh Mills, Grayson Wells (2), Morgan Barrett (5) and Mary Kansas Sullivan.
Karli Perque,
Amanda Holliday (4) and
Natalie Hogue.
WP-Perque (19-0).
LP-Mills.
ICC hitters: Mamie Hollenhead 2B; Alex Brown 1B; Meg Sullivan 1B; McKenzie Piper 1B.
JCJC hitters:
Kelly Byrd 2 1B;
Kelsha Loftin 3B;
Autumn Frost 2B;
Taylor Murray 2B;
Cori McCrary 1B.
LOB: ICC-5; JCJC-7.
T-1:54.
Region 23 Tournament
Ellisville
Community Bank Park
Wednesday's results
Game 1, Mississippi Gulf Coast 8, LSU-Eunice 1
Game 2, Jones County 6, Itawamba 1
Thursday's games
Game 3, Jones County vs. Mississippi Gulf Coast, 1 p.m.
Game 4, Itawamba vs. LSU-Eunice, 3 p.m.
Game 5, Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3, 5 p.m.
Friday's games
Game 6, Championship, Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5
Game 7, if necessary, 30 minutes after Game 6
Top two teams qualify for NJCAA Division II National Tournament May 17-20 in Clinton
