Baseball | 5/9/2019 1:21:00 AM
ELLISVILLE – The 5
th-rated Jones College Bobcats scored 10 runs in the middle three innings and defeated Hinds 10-4 here Wednesday night at Community Bank Park in Game 1 of the Region 23 Best-of-3 playoff series.
The Bobcats, 36-9, can clinch the series with a win in Game 2, which begins at 10 a.m. Thursday. A third game, if necessary, would follow.
The winner of the series heads to the Region 23 Tournament next week at Itawamba.
The Eagles, 25-19, struck in the top of the first inning when Josh Cofield walked, Walker Burchfield singled and Connor Carter followed with an RBI double.
Jones would take a 3-1 lead in the fourth.
Robbie Woody (Madison Central) led off with a single,
Bailee Hendon (Vancleave) walked and
O'Neill Burgos (Brookhaven Academy) delivered an RBI single to right.
Blake Johnson (Gulfport) had a sacrifice fly to left and
Gabe Lacy's (Gulfport) single drove in another run.
Hinds tied it 3-3 in the fifth when John Bolton and Cofield singled and Walker Burchfield walked to load the bases. Pablo Lazarote drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to center and Cofield would score on an error.
Jones would take the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth.
Trace Henry (Mooreville) led off with a triple to right and Woody walked. Henry scored when Hendon hit into a double play. With two outs, Burgos reached on a dropped pop up by the shortstop and stole second. Johnson's double drove in Burgos to make it 5-3.
After
Brandon Hale (Pontotoc) walked,
Jake Mason (West Lauderdale) singled to load the bases. Lacy was then hit by a pitch to score Johnson and give the Bobcats a 6-3 lead.
Hinds got a run in the top of the sixth when Tucker Thomas was hit by a pitch, Bolton singled and Jovante Dorris followed with an RBI single.
The Bobcats closed the scoring in the bottom of the sixth.
Henry and Woody singled to start the inning and Hendon followed with an RBI single. Burgos then had an RBI groundout. After Hale was hit by a pitch, Hendon scored on an error. Mason's double to right drove in the final run.
Starter
Lane Thomas (Walker, Louisiana) improved to 9-1 with the win. He pitched 5.2 innings, giving up four runs (three earned), nine hits and two walks. He had four strikeouts.
Coleton Ausbern (Nettleton) went the final 3.1 innings and recorded his third save. He gave up no runs, two hits, walked one and struck out five.
Henry tripled and singled, Mason doubled and singled and Woody singled twice.
Blake Johnson doubled with Hendon, Burgos, Hale, Lacy and
Chase Tilghman (West Lauderdale) adding singles.
Bolton doubled and singled twice for the Eagles with Burchfield getting two singles. Carter and Collier each doubled with Dorris, Cofield, Lazarote and Luke Clement adding singles.
Starter Preston Johnson went 4.2 innings and picked up the loss. He gave up six runs (four earned), seven hits, walked four and notched seven strikeouts. Landon Tomkins, Austin Booth, Ryan Jackson and Blake Marshall also pitched.
Wednesday's game
Ellisville
Community Bank Park
Jones College 10, Hinds 4
Hinds (25-19) 100 021 000 – 4 11 3
Jones College (36-9) 000 334 00x – 10 12 1
Preston Johnson, Landon Tomkins (5), Austin Booth (6), Ryan Jackson (7), Blake Marshall (8) and Pablo Lazarote, CJ Keckler (7).
Lane Thomas,
Coleton Ausbern (6) and
Chase Tilghman.
WP-Thomas (9-1).
LP-Johnson.
Sv-Ausbern (3).
Hinds hitters:John Bolton 2B, 2 1B; Walker Burchfield 2 1B; Connor Carter 2B; Colby Collier 2B; Jovante Dorris 1B; Josh Cofield 1B; Pablo Lazarote 1B; Luke Clement 1B.
JC hitters:Trace Henry 3B, 1B;
Jake Mason 2B, 1B;
Robbie Woody 2 1B;
Blake Johnson 2B;
Bailee Hendon 1B;
O'Neill Burgos 1B;
Brandon Hale 1B;
Gabe Lacy 1B;
Chase Tilghman 1B.
LOB:Hinds-8; JC-7.
T:3:19.
