Softball | 5/11/2017 7:44:00 PM
ELLISVILLE – For the second straight season and the fifth time in six years, the Jones County Junior College Lady Bobcats are headed to the NJCAA Division II National Softball Tournament.
The top-ranked Lady Bobcats defeated No. 7 Mississippi Gulf Coast 13-3 here Thursday afternoon at Community Bank Park in a Region 23 Tournament winner's bracket game.
LSU-Eunice beat Itawamba and Mississippi Gulf Coast on Thursday to advance to the region finals.
Because of anticipated rain on Friday and the top two teams from the region qualify for the nationals, the coaches from JCJC and LSU-Eunice met Thursday night and have decided not play, either on Friday or Saturday.
Next up for JCJC and LSU-Eunice will be the national tournament May 17-20 at Traceway Park in Clinton.
JCJC, by going 2-0 in the Region 23 Tournament and being ranked No. 1 in the nation for most of the year, is expected to be the higher seed in the national tournament.
The national tournament bracket will be announced on Monday.
LSU-Eunice eliminated No. 6 Itawamba 5-1 in a loser's bracket game on Friday. ICC ends the year at 39-15.
The Bengals then scored eight runs in the top of the sixth inning and eliminated No. 7 Mississippi Gulf Coast, 8-0 in 6 innings. MGCCC ends the year at 40-14.
Lady Bobcats 13, Lady Bulldogs 3
Starter
Madison Burge (Harrison Central) pitched 5 2/3 solid innings and the Lady Bobcats put up seven runs in the seventh inning en route to the victory.
JCJC took a 2-0 lead in the second inning when
Emily Robinson (Lafayette) led off with a double into the rightfield corner, took third on a groundout and scored when
Taylor Murray (Parklane Academy) tripled down the rightfield line. Murray would come home on a throwing error on the same play.
The Lady Bobcats went up 5-0 in the third.
Kelsha Loftin (Mendenhall) reached on an error to start the inning.
Kelly Byrd's (Copiah Academy) fly ball to right was dropped. The ball was thrown away, placing runners on second and third.
Autumn Frost (East Webster) drew a walk to load the bases.
Brittany Baty's (Northeast Lauderdale) single drove in a run and Robinson's sacrifice fly to right scored another.
Natalie Hogue (Harrison Central) then delivered an RBI single.
Jones took a 6-0 lead in the fourth when Loftin walked and Byrd singled sharply to left. The ball got past the leftfielder, allowing Loftin to score.
The Lady Bulldogs cut the lead in half in the sixth.
Brittney Triplett led off with a single and was sacrificed to second by Paige Dill. With two outs, Izzy Werdann got an RBI single, followed by an RBI double by Molly Murphy and an RBI single by Aidan Nichols.
Amanda Holliday (Watson, Louisiana) entered in relief of Burge and got a fielder's choice grounder to McCrary at shortstop to end the inning.
JCJC then sent 11 batters to the plate and scored seven runs to put the game away in the top of the seventh.
Baty and Robinson led off with singles and Hogue sacrificed. Murray's single scored pinchrunner
Sarah Brock (North Pike). Robinson came home when Murray stole second and pinchhitter
Bailey Gilbert's (Sylva-Bay Academy) single scored Murray.
McCrary then hit a two-run home run to center and Loftin followed with a line drive home run over the centerfield wall to make it 12-3.
Byrd drew a walk, Frost singled and Baty delivered her second hit of the inning, an RBI single to center.
Burge allowed three runs (one earned), five hits and walked one as she improved to 10-0. Holliday tossed the final 1 1/3 innings and retired all four batters she faced.
Baty singled three times to lead the 17-hit, JCJC attack. McCrary homered and singled, Murray tripled and singled and Robinson doubled and singled for JCJC. Loftin homered, while Byrd and Frost had two singles each.
Callie Venable (Clinton, Louisiana), Hogue and Gilbert added singles.
MGCCC starter Nora Keehn went 6 1/3 innings, allowed 12 runs (eight earned), 15 hits, walked two, struck out one and took the loss. Nichols went the final 2/3 of an inning, gave up one run, two hits and walked one.
Triplett, Werdann, Murphy, Nichols and Precious Sanders each singled.
Region 23 Tournament
Thursday's game
Jones County 13, Mississippi Gulf Coast 3
Jones County (49-2) 023 100 7 – 13 17 1
Miss. Gulf Coast (40-13) 000 003 0 – 3 5 5
Madison Burge,
Amanda Holliday (6) and
Natalie Hogue. Nora Keehn, Aidan Nichols (7) and Izzy Werdann.
WL-Burge (10-0).
LP-Keehn.
JCJC hitters: Brittany Baty 3 1B;
Cori McCrary HR, 1B;
Taylor Murray 3B, 1B;
Emily Robinson 2B, 1B;
Kelsha Loftin HR;
Kelly Byrd 2 1B;
Autumn Frost 2 1B;
Callie Venable 1B;
Natalie Hogue 1B;
Bailey Gilbert 1B.
MGCCC hitters: Brittney Triplett 1B; Izzy Werdann 1B; Molly Murphy 1B; Aidan Nichols 1B; Precious Sanders 1B.
LOB: JCJC-8; MGCCC-4.
T-1:51.
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 results
Game 3, Jones County 13, Mississippi Gulf Coast 3
Game 4, LSU-Eunice 5, Itawamba 1
Game 5, LSU-Eunice 8, Mississippi Gulf Coast 0 (6 innings)
Games on Friday have been canceled because of rain and will not be played.
Top two teams in the region – Jones County and LSU-Eunice - qualify for NJCAA Division II National Tournament May 17-20 in Clinton
