Baseball | 5/6/2017 11:01:00 PM
ELLISVILLE – Top-ranked Jones County Junior College ended regular season play with a 44-2 record.
Trailing 3-2 entering the bottom of the sixth inning of game two, JCJC sent 13 batters to the plate, scored nine runs and went on to defeat Meridian Community College 11-4 in game two of a doubleheader here Saturday afternoon at Community Bank Park.
After the game, the Bobcats were presented with the MACJC championship plaque by school President Dr. Jesse Smith and Athletic Director
Katie Herrington.
JCJC ended conference play with a 26-2 record, nine games ahead of several teams tied at 17-11 in second play.
By winning the state championship, the Bobcats will not have to play a best-of-3 MACJC playoff series on May 11-12. JCJC's next game will be on May 17 when they host the Region 23 Tournament.
That six-team, double-elimination region tournament will consist of JCJC, LSU-Eunice and the four winners of the MACJC playoff series.
Meridian ends the year at 23-21.
The Eagles went up 2-0 in the first inning when Milton Smith led off with a bunt single and stole second and third. After Chase Coker walked, J.D. Gann hit into a double play to score Smith. Landon Keller then doubled and Trace Jordan doubled to drive him home.
MCC took a 3-0 lead in the second when Cade Ewing singled and was replaced by pinchrunner Blake Fields. After a C.J. Hughes' single, Smith's second bunt single of the game drove in Fields.
The Bobcats got a run in the third when
Fred Franklin (West Lauderdale) singled, took second on a throwing error and scored on
Shelton Wallace's (Northwest Rankin) single.
Jones made it 3-2 in the fourth when Tanner Huddleston (George County) led off with a double, took third on a wild pitch and scored on a groundout by Jacob Hiatt (Petal).
That set the stage for the decisive sixth inning.
Erick Hoard (Brandon) doubled and with two outs, nine consecutive Bobcats reached base.
Jonathan Parker (New Orleans, Louisiana) walked and Hiatt's single scored Hoard to tie the game at 3-3. Luther Woullard (D'Iberville) then doubled into the leftfield corner to score two runs and he would take third on an error.
Tate Pepper's (Ocean Springs) single scored Woullard to make it 6-3.
After Caleb Ledet (Houma, Louisiana) walked, Franklin was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Wallace drilled a two-run double and Hoard followed with a two-run single. Huddleston then singled to score Hoard.
The Eagles scored a run in the seventh when Fields doubled and scored on Coker's triple.
Huddleston doubled and singled twice, while Wallace, Hoard and Woullard each doubled and singled. Franklin, Hiatt and Pepper had singles and Wallace finished with three RBIs.
Hunter Stanley started and took the loss. He went 5 2/3 innings, allowed six runs (four earned), eight hits, walked one and struck out six. Bukhari Brown pitched 1/3 of an inning, allowed five runs, four hits and walked one.
Jordan and Ewing each doubled and singled, while Smith had two singles. Coker tripled, Jordan doubled and Hughes singled.
Saturday's game
Ellisville
Community Bank Park
Game 2
Jones County 11, Meridian 4
Meridian (23-21, 12-16) 210 000 1 – 4 8 3
Jones County (44-2, 26-2) 001 109 x – 11 12 1
Hunter Stanley, Bukhari Brown (6) and Cade Ewing.
Ben Stiglets,
Bryce Fagan (7) and
Tate Pepper.
WP-Stiglets (11-0).
LP-Stanley.
MCC hitters: Trace Jordan 2B, 1B; Milton Smith 2 1B; Chase Coker 3B; Landon Keller 2B; Blake Fields 2B; Cade Ewing 1B; C.J. Hughes 1B.
JCJC hitters: Tanner Huddleston 2 1B; 2B;
Shelton Wallace 2B, 1B;
Erick Hoard 2B, 1B;
Luther Woullard 2B, 1B;
Fred Franklin 1B;
Jacob Hiatt 1B;
Tate Pepper 1B.
LOB: MCC-4; JCJC-3.
T-1:58.
