Baseball | 4/28/2019 11:26:00 AM
ELLISVILLE – The 7
th-rated Jones College Bobcats split a doubleheader with No. 14 Meridian Community College here Saturday afternoon at Community Bank Park.
The Bobcats scored a run in the bottom of the ninth inning to win game one, 5-4. In game two, the Eagles posted a 4-1 decision. That loss snapped an 11-game winning streak by Jones.
Jones, 32-8 overall and 17-7 in the MACJC, goes to Pearl River for a 3 p.m. doubleheader on Tuesday. The Bobcats end regular season play with a 4 p.m. Friday doubleheader at home vs. East Mississippi.
MCC, 25-13 and 14-10, hosts East Central on Tuesday.
Bobcats 5, Eagles 4
After Meridian tied the game in the top of the ninth, Jones won in the bottom of the frame.
O'Neill Burgos (Brookhaven Academy) reached on an error to start the inning and was replaced by pinch-runner
Cooper Brune (Ocean Springs). With one out,
Robbie Woody (Madison Central) singled to center and Brune advanced to third base.
Bailee Hendon (Vancleave) was then intentionally walked after getting ahead 3-0 in the count.
Gabe Lacy (Gulfport) then hit a ground ball to the shortstop that was misplayed, allowing Brune to score the winning run.
Meridian started the game with three runs in the top of the first.
Markarius Lee led off with a single and Mack Pickering followed with a walk. Houston Parker doubled to left-center to make it 2-0. Kace Garner singled to put runners on first and third and a groundout by Donovan Shows drove in Parker.
It remained that way until the fifth inning when the Bobcats tied it.
With one out, Lacy and
Jake Mason (West Lauderdale) singled and
Chase Tilghman (West Lauderdale) followed with an RBI single to right.
Brandon Hale (Pontotoc) followed with an RBI groundout.
Trace Henry (Mooreville) then reached on an infield hit. Tilghman never stopped running and scored all the way from second base to make it 3-3.
The Bobcats took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth when Hendon led off with a walk and was sacrificed to second by Lacy. Mason's double put runners at second and third. After pinchhitter
Kirkland Trahan (Madison Central) was intentionally walked to load the bases, Hale drew a walk to score Hendon.
The Eagles tied it in the top of the ninth when Keegan Westbrook was hit by a pitch to start the inning and Jean Luis Torres followed with a single. Westbrook advanced to third on a flyout by Banks Tolley and scored on Edwin Smith's groundout.
Starter
Coleton Ausbern (Nettleton) went seven innings for Jones. After allowing three runs and four hits in the first inning, he did not give up a hit in his next six innings. He retired 12 straight batters at one point. Ausbern ended up with eight strikeouts and three walks.
Payton Harris (Oak Grove) pitched the final two innings and got the win. He gave up one run, one hit, one walk and had a strikeout as he improved to 4-0.
Mason doubled and singled with Burgos, Johnson and Woody getting two singles each. Henry, Lacy and Tilghman added singles.
Torres had two singles for MCC. Parker doubled and Lee and Garner added singles.
Westbrook pitched the final .1 of an inning and took the loss. He allowed one hit, one walk and an unearned run.
Starter Luke Files went 4.2 innings, giving up three runs, six hits, no walks and posting a strikeout. Max Sharp tossed 2.0 innings, allowing no runs, two hits, two walks and recording two strikeouts. Austin Higgins went 1.1 innings, giving up a run, two hits and three walks.
Eagles 4, Bobcats 1
Meridian took a 1-0 lead in the first when Lee was hit by a pitch to start the game, stole second base and scored on an error on a ground ball.
The Bobcats tied it in the second when Johnson led off with a single, stole second, went to third on a groundout and scored on a Mason double.
MCC made it 3-1 in the fourth.
Westbrook led off with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Torres struck out, but had to be thrown out at first after the ball got away from Johnson. Torres was thrown out, but Westbrook advanced to third.
Tolley's single scored Westbrook. Tolley stole second, advanced to third on a fly ball and scored on a passed ball.
MCC ended the scoring in the fifth when Pickering and Garner walked and Westbrook followed with an RBI single.
Starter
Brady Greene (Montgomery, Alabama) went 5.0 innings and got the loss, falling to 5-2 on the year. He allowed four runs (two earned), five hits, walked two and struck out three.
Cade Killingsworth (North Pike) pitched 2.0 innings, recorded four strikeouts and allowed no hits.
Mason had a double with Henry, Burgos, Johnson and Lacy adding singles.
Starter David Dunn went 4.1 innings for the Eagles, giving up a run, five hits, a walk and recording two strikeouts. Braden Forsyth went the final 2.2 innings, giving up no runs, two walks and recorded three strikeouts.
Westbrook had two singles with Pickering, Shows and Tolley adding singles.
Saturday's games
Ellisville
Community Bank Park
Game 1
Jones College 5, Meridian 4
Meridian (24-13, 13-10) 300 000 001 – 4 5 3
Jones College (32-7, 17-6) 000 030 011 – 5 11 2
Luke Files, Max Sharp (5), Austin Huggins (7), Keegan Westbrook (9) and Donovan Shows.
Coleton Ausbern,
Payton Harris (8) and
Chase Tilghman,
Steven Sasser (8).
WP-Harris (4-0).
LP-Westbrook.
MCC hitters: Jean Luis Torres 2 1B; Houston Parker 2B; Markarius Lee 1B; Kace Garner 1B.
JC hitters:Jake Mason 2B, 1B;
O'Neill Burgos 2 1B;
Blake Johnson 2 1B;
Robbie Woody 2 1B;
Trace Henry 1B;
Gabe Lacy 1B;
Chase Tilghman 1B.
LOB:MCC-6; JC-10.
T:2:38.
Game 2
Meridian 4, Jones College 1
Meridian (25-13, 14-10) 100 210 0 – 4 5 1
Jones College (32-8, 17-7) 010 000 0 – 1 5 2
David Dunn, Braden Forsyth (5) and Donovan Shows.
Brady Greene,
Cade Killingsworth (6) and
Blake Johnson,
Steven Sasser (6).
MCC hitters:Keegan Westbrook 2 1B; Mack Pickering 1B; Donovan Shows 1B; Banks Tolley 1B.
JC hitters:Jake Mason 2B;
Trace Henry 1B;
O'Neill Burgos 1B;
Blake Johnson 1B;
Gabe Lacy 1B.
LOB: MCC-6; JC-8.
T:1:56.
