Softball | 5/20/2017 2:09:00 AM
CLINTON – Top-ranked Jones County Junior College rallied for three victories here Friday at Traceway Park in the NJCAA Division II National Tournament.
Now, the "Cardiac Cats" have to win three more games on Saturday to claim a national title.
JCJC trailed Kankakee College (Illinois) 3-0 in the third inning before coming back to run-rule the Cavaliers, 12-3 in six innings.
The Lady Bobcats were behind Cowley County (Kansas) 2-1 entering the bottom of the sixth inning before exploding for six runs and posted a 7-2 decision.
Jones was down 1-0 entering the bottom of the sixth inning against Illinois Central before rallying to beat the Cougars, 3-1.
JCJC is now 54-3 on the season, which is a school record for wins.
Jones will now meet Phoenix College (Arizona) at 9:30 a.m. Saturday in an elimination game. The Bears were down 6-0 early and 9-5 entering the top of the seventh vs. LSU-Eunice. They rallied to tie the Lady Bengals 9-9 before LSU-Eunice hit a home run to win it, 10-9 in the bottom of the seventh.
The JCJC/Phoenix winner will then have to beat LSU-Eunice twice to win the championship.
All of Saturday's games will air on
www.njcaa.tv.
Lady Bobcats 3, Illinois Central 1
ICC took a 1-0 in the top of the third inning.
Abrianna Hale singled, took second on a groundout by Abigail Stoller and scored on Madisyn McCoy's single.
JCJC had been limited to just one hit entering the bottom of the sixth. Jones then got two hits and took advantage of two errors to take the lead.
Cori McCrary (Carroll Academy) led off with an infield single.
Kelsha Loftin's (Mendenhall) bunt was thrown away at first. McCrary was able to score all the way from first on the play and Loftin ended up at third base.
Autumn Frost's (East Webster) singled to right scored Loftin to give Jones a 2-1 lead. With two outs,
Emily Robinson's (Lafayette) ground ball to third was thrown away at first, allowing pinchrunner
Sarah Brock (North Pike) to score.
Karli Perque (Westwego, Louisiana) retired the side in order in the top of the seventh.
Perque went the final four innings and got the win. She allowed no runs, two hits, walked none and struck out two. She is now 22-0 on the year. Starter
Madison Burge (Harrison Central) went three innings, allowed one run, two hits, walked none and struck out two.
Loftin doubled, while McCrary and Frost had singles.
Cassie Shaw went the distance for ICC, allowed three runs (none earned), three hits, walked one and struck out three.
Madisyn McCoy, Shaw, Hale and Madyson Fox singled for the Cougars, who end the year at 29-24.
Lady Bobcats 7, Cowley (Kansas) 2
JCJC took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second when
Emily Robinson (Lafayette) doubled and scored on a single by
Natalie Hogue (Harrison Central).
The Tigers went up 2-1 in the third when Carly walked and Jolona Shield followed with a two-run home run.
It stayed that way until the bottom of the sixth.
Kelsha Loftin (Mendenhall) led off with a single and
Kelly Byrd (Copiah Academy) followed with a double.
Autumn Frost (East Webster) followed with a two-run single to put Jones ahead, 3-2.
Brittany Baty (Northeast Lauderdale) then blasted a two-run home run to center to make it 5-2.
Robinson drew a walk and Hogue reached on an error. After a wild pitch,
Taylor Murray's (Parklane Academy) groundout scored Robinson.
Callie Venable's (Clinton, Louisiana) single drove Hogue home.
Amanda Holliday (Watson, Louisiana) went the final 3 2/3 innings and got the win. She allowed no runs, one hit and walked one. She is now 11-1.
Starter Karlie Perque (Westwego, Louisiana) sent 3 innings, allowed two runs, one hit, walked one and struck out three.
Haylee Morse (Madison Central) went 1/3 of an inning, giving up a walk and a hit.
Baty homered and singled for Jones, while Loftin had two singles. Byrd and Robinson each doubled with
Cori McCrary (Carroll Academy), Frost and Hogue adding singles.
Logan Wenzel went five-plus innings and got the loss. She allowed seven runs (five earned), nine hits and walked two. Kacia Hilty pitched an inning, allowed no hits and got a strikeout.
Shield homered and Brianna Fuchs and Maria Jose Alava had singles for Cowley.
The Tigers end the season at 45-17.
Lady Bobcats 12, Kankakee (Illinois) 3
(6 innings)
Kankakee took a 3-0 lead in the third when Kiley Zajdzinski and Lindsey Andrews both singled and Jessica Zamaitis reached on an error on a bunt. Beth Mersinger's sacrifice fly to right scored a run and Colleen McLaughlin's single plated another. Another error allowed Kalyn Leanard, who had reached on a fielder's choice, to score.
Jones got a run in the bottom of the third when
Kelly Byrd (Copiah Academy) reached on a two-base error and scored on
Brittany Baty's (Northeast Lauderdale) single.
JCJC tied it in the fourth when
Cori McCrary (Carroll Academy) singled and
Kelsha Loftin (Mendenhall) followed with a two-run home run.
The Lady Bobcats went ahead 8-3 in the fifth.
Baty walked and was replaced by pinchrunner
Brittany Hagwood (Enterprise).
Emily Robinson (Lafayette) singled and
Natalie Hogue (Harrison Central) followed with a two-run double.
Callie Venable's (Clinton, Louisiana) singled scored Hogue to make it 6-3.
Loftin's single scored Venable. Byrd singled,
Autumn Frost (East Webster) walked and Hagwood's walk scored Loftin.
In the bottom of the sixth, Hogue walked and was forced out on
Taylor Murray's (Parklane Academy) grounder.
Bailey Gilbert (Sylva-Bay Academy) reached on an error and McCrary singled to load the bases.
Byrd then ended it with a grand slam.
Karli Perque (Westwego, Louisiana) went the final 3 1/3 innings and got the win. She allowed no runs, one hit and struck out five. Starter
Amanda Holliday (Clinton, Louisiana) went 2 2/3 innings, allowed three runs (none earned), five hits, walked one and struck out three.
Loftin homered and singled twice, while McCrary had three singles. Byrd homered and singled, while Hogue doubled and single. Baty, Robinson and Venable added singles.
Leanard singled twice for Kankakee, while Andrews, McLaughlin, Jenna Arseneau and Zajdzinski added singles.
Starter Ballie Ulmark went 4 2/3 innings and took the loss. She allowed eight runs (six earned), 11 hits and walked two. Jessica Stansch went an inning, allowed four runs (none earned), two hits and walked two.
Kankakee ends the year at 48-12.
NJCAA Division II Tournament
Clinton
Traceway Park
Wednesday's results
Game 1, No. 1 Jones County 10, No. 16 Pitt (NC) 2 (5 innings)
Game 2, No. 8 Johnson County (KS) 9, No. 9 Illinois Central 1 (5 innings)
Game 3, No. 5 Des Moines Area (IA) 8, No. 12 Mercyhurst North East (PA) 0
Game 4, No. 4 LSU-Eunice 7, No. 13 Waubonsee (IL) 3
Game 5, No. 3 Phoenix (AZ) 8, No. 14 Potomac State (WV), 2
Game 6, No. 11 Lansing (MI) 6, No. 6 Kankakee (IL) 0
Game 7, No. 7 Cowley County (KS) 10, No. 10 Danville Area (IL) 8
Game 8, No. 2 Kirkwood (IA) 12, No. 15 Oakland (MI) 3 (5 innings)
Thursday's results
Game 9, Illinois Central 4, Pitt (NC) 0
Game 10, Waubonsee (IL) 8, Mercyhurst North East (PA) 5
Game 11, Kankakee (IL) 15, Potomac State (WV) 0 (6 innings)
Game 12, Oakland (MI) 10, Danville Area (IL) 5
Game 13, Johnson County (KS) 10, Jones County 7
Game 14, LSU-Eunice 3, Des Moines Area (IA) 2
Game 15, Phoenix (AZ) 9, Lansing (MI) 1 (5 innings)
Game 16, Cowley County (KS) 4, Kirkwood (IA) 3
Game 17, Jones County 5, Oakland (MI) 1
Game 18, Kankakee (IL) 9, Des Moines Area (IA) 4
Game 19, Lansing (MI) 2, Waubonsee (IL) 1
Game 20, Illinois Central 6, Kirkwood (IA) 0
Friday's results
Game 21, LSU-Eunice 12, Johnson County (KS) 2 (5 innings)
Game 22, Phoenix (AZ) 9, Cowley County (KS) 4
Game 23, Illinois Central 11, Lansing (MI) 3 (5 innings)
Game 24, Jones County 12, Kankakee (IL) 3 (6 innings)
Game 25, Illinois Central 9, Johnson County (KS) 2
Game 26, Jones County 7, Cowley County (KS), 2
Game 27, LSU-Eunice 10, Phoenix (AZ) 9
Game 28, Jones County 3, Illinois Central 1
Saturday's games
Game 29, Jones County vs. Phoenix (AZ), Field 2, 9:30 a.m.
Game 30, LSU-Eunice vs. Winner G29, Field 2, 11:30 a.m.
Game 31, If necessary, Field 2, 2 p.m.
