Softball | 5/6/2018 9:30:00 PM
FULTON – Fourth-ranked Jones County Junior College will play for its third straight MACJC softball title on Monday.
The Lady Bobcats got a shutout pitching performance from
Karli Perque (Westwego, Louisiana) and a pair of RBI singles from catcher
Faith Denton (Northwest Rankin) and beat host Itawamba 6-0 in an MACJC Tournament winner's bracket game here Sunday afternoon at the ICC Softball Complex.
The Lady Bobcats, 45-3, meet Itawamba for the championship at 1 p.m. Monday. Another game, if necessary, would follow. All games in the tournament are webcast on
www.letsgoicctv.com/red.
East Central eliminated Pearl River, 3-2 in 8 innings, and Itawamba then ousted ECCC, 11-3, in 5 innings in Sunday's other games.
JCJC, Itawamba and East Central, along with LSU-Eunice, will all play in the Region 23 Tournament beginning Thursday at a site to be announced.
Perque, 19-2, was outstanding once again for Jones in posting her eighth shutout of the season.
The Memphis signee allowed six hits, walked one and struck out six.
The Lady Bobcats took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Hallie Donald (Mooreville) led off with a walk and was replaced by pinch-runner
Simone McKinney (Harrison Central). McKinney stole second and
McKennah Sikes (Van Buren, Arkansas) followed with a single to put runners at first and third. Pinch-runner
Natilyn Hasty (Germantown) came in for Sikes.
Denton then singled to center to drive in McKinney. Pinch-runner
Breanna Hasty (Germantown) replaced Denton. After
Angel Guyton (Smithville) walked to load the bases,
Kelsha Loftin (Mendenhall) followed with a sacrifice fly to center to make it 2-0.
JCJC added a run in the fifth when Sikes singled to left and advanced to third on a two-base error. Denton then delivered her second RBI single of the day to make it 3-0.
The Lady Bobcats closed the scoring with three runs in the sixth.
Sarah Brock (North Pike) led off with a walk and was sacrificed to second by Loftin. After
Taylor Murray (Parklane Academy) walked,
Emily Robinson (Lafayette) doubled to right to drive in Brock.
Callie Venable (Clinton, Louisiana) drove in Murray with a bunt single to make it 5-0 and McKinney's sacrifice fly to center scored Robinson with the game's final run.
Denton tripled and had two singles, while Sikes had three singles for the Lady Bobcats. Robinson doubled and singled and Venable had two singles.
Samantha Conley had two singles for ICC, 41-8. McKenzie Piper, Macey Cox, Bailie Springfield and Hannah Williams added singles for the Indians.
Starter Olivia Burns went 3.1 innings and took the loss. She allowed two runs, five hits, walked four and struck out five. Cox pitched 1.2 innings, allowed two runs (one earned), two hits, walked two and strike out one. Makenzie Toombs pitched an inning, allowed two runs, three hits and walked one.
MACJC Tournament
Fulton
Itawamba Community College
Friday's results
G1, Itawamba 8, Pearl River 2
G2, Jones County 5, East Central 2
Sunday's results
G3, Jones County 6, Itawamba 0
G4, East Central 3, Pearl River 2 (8 innings)
G5, Itawamba 11, East Central 3 (5 innings)
Monday's games
G6, Jones County vs. Itawamba, 1 p.m.
G7, if necessary
Winner G1, Winner G2, Winner G4 all advance to Region 23 Tournament
