Softball | 5/11/2018 12:02:00 AM

FULTON – Jones County Junior College trailed East Central 3-2 with the bases empty and two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
But McKennah Sikes (Van Buren, Arkansas) tied the game with a home run to left and the Lady Bobcats scored again and edged the Lady Warriors 4-3 in the Region 23 Tournament opener here Thursday evening at the Itawamba Community College Softball Complex.
JCJC, 47-3 and winners of 14 straight, will now meet LSU-Eunice at 1 p.m. Friday in a winner's bracket game. The winner of that game will secure a berth in the NJCAA Division II National Tournament next week. LSU-Eunice beat Itawamba 4-2 on Friday.
After Sikes' home run, Faith Denton (Northwest Rankin) singled and was replaced by courtesy runner Natilyn Hasty (Germantown). Gracie McCleskey (Caledonia) then singled and Hasty was able to score on a two-base error.
ECCC got a two-out walk in the seventh, but pitcher Karli Perque (Westwego, Louisiana) got Madalyn McMahon to line out to first baseman Nancy Williams (Southeast Lauderdale) to end the game.
The Lady Warriors took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
Shelby Walters led off with a double and would score on a McMahon single.
JCJC would take a 2-1 lead in the third.
Simone McKinney (Harrison Central) led off with a bunt single, Kelsha Loftin (Mendenhall) reached on an infield single and Taylor Murray's (Parklane Academy) bunt single loaded the bases with no outs. With one out, Callie Venable (Clinton, Louisiana) singled to left to drive in two runs.
East Central would regain the lead at 3-2 in the fifth.
Ali Gartman led off with a single and Mackenzie Johnson reached on a bunt single. Macy Brabham then bunted and reached on an error which loaded the bases with no outs.
After a strikeout, Walters hit a sacrifice fly to center to tie the game at 2-2. McMahon then singled to put ECCC ahead.
Perque, 20-2, allowed three runs (one earned), five hits, walked one and struck out eight to get the victory.
Sikes homered and singled, while McCleskey tripled and singled to lead JCJC at the plate. Loftin, Murray, Venable, Denton and McKinney added singles.
Kaitlyn Oswalt went the distance and got the loss for ECCC. She allowed four runs (three earned), nine hits, walked one and struck out three.
McMahon had two singles with Walters getting a double. Gartman and Mackenzie Johnson added singles for ECCC.
East Central, 35-13, meets Itawamba in a loser's bracket game at 3 p.m. Friday.
 

Region 23 Tournament

Fulton
Itawamba Community College
Thursday's results
G1, LSU-Eunice 4, Itawamba 2
G2, Jones County 4, East Central 3
Friday's games
G4, Jones County vs. LSU-Eunice, 1 p.m.
G3, Itawamba vs. East Central, 3 p.m.
G5, Loser G4 vs. Winner G3, 5 p.m.
Saturday's game
G6, Winner G4 vs. Winner G5, 1 p.m.
G7, if necessary
Top two teams advance to national tournament