FULTON – A leadoff home run from Tyesha Cole and career-high 16 strikeouts for Nia Luckett lifted No. 6 Jones over No. 3 Mississippi Gulf Coast, 2-0, late Thursday night to send the Bobcats into the MACCC Tournament Semifinals.

Jones extended its season-long winning streak to 15 games in improving to 37-7 overall. The Bobcats will face tournament host and No. 2 Itawamba (35-5) at 5 p.m. Friday, with a shot in the conference finals on the line. 

Jones has also punched a spot into next week's NJCAA Region 23 Tournament in Eunice, La., May 12-15.

Gulf Coast will play an elimination game at noon against Hinds. 

Cole's leadoff blast provided the game's only run through the first six frames. 

Luckett punched out nine Bulldogs through the first three innings, including four in the third. After loading the bases on a wild pitch and two walks, Luckett punched out Kristian Jones and Rakeya Travis to end the threat. 

Jones picked up a huge insurance run in the top of the seventh, using a one-out double from Kristian Edwards and scoring her a batter later on Cole's squeeze bunt.

Gulf Coast threatened a final time in the bottom of the seventh, taking advantage of a leadoff error to get the tying run to the plate. After a passed ball and hit-by-pitch, Gulf Coast had runners at second and third before Luckett's 16th strikeout ended the game. 

Luckett improved to 11-4 in the circle with a seventh straight win. She has allowed just one three earned runs and struck out 62 in that span.