ELLISVILLE – The No. 4 Jones College Bobcats will serve as host for the MACCC Softball Tournament May 4-7.
The Bobcats clinched the conference's regular season top spot with a 12-0, five-inning win over Hinds in game one of a doubleheader here Tuesday before a packed house at Community Bank Park/Gwen Magee Field.
Nia Luckett (Philadelphia) tossed a no-hitter in that game. Jones then completed the sweep with a 12-4, five-inning victory over Eagles.
The Bobcats combined for eight home runs in the doubleheader. Ten different Bobcats had base hits on the day.
Jones, winners of 13 straight, is now 36-7 overall and 24-2 in the MACCC. The Bobcats visit Baton Rouge Community College (Louisiana) for a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Thursday and concludes regular season play with a 2 p.m. twinbill Friday at Holmes.
Hinds, 21-20 overall and 13-13 in the conference, hosts East Mississippi Friday in its regular season finale.
Jones 12, Hinds 0 (5 inn.)
Luckett struck out 10 and walked one as she improved to 11-4. She now has 307 career strikeouts, second all-time in Bobcat history.
The Bobcats used the longball to strike first when
Lindsay Henson (Lawrenceburg, Ind.) blasted a three-run home run in the first inning.
Luckett slugged a home run in the third and Henson hit her 12th home run of the year, a two-run blast, to put Jones up 7-0. Later in the inning, a two-run single by
Aaliyah Dixon (Hillcrest Christian) gave the Bobcats a 9-0 lead.
In the fourth,
Carly Lewis (Jackson Prep) had an RBI-single and
Kathryn Smith (Luling, La.) ended the scoring with a two-run home run.
Henson homered twice and drove in five runs. Dixon homered and singled, Lewis doubled and singled and
Lauren Lindsey (Mobile, Ala.) singled twice. Luckett and Smith homered with
Sydney Pevey (Lawrence County) and
Skylar McLellan (Brandon) adding singles.
Kendall Calloway went 4.0 innings and got the loss, falling to 11-9. She gave up 12 hits, walked two and struck out two.
Jones 12, Hinds 4 (5 inn.)
The Bobcats got another complete game in game two as
Hanna Zeitz (Clinton Christian Academy) improved her record to 8-2. She allowed four earned runs, seven hits, walked none and struck out four.
The Eagles jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning before the Bobcats rallied using the long ball again.
Pevey and Lindsey had solo home runs in the first and Smith's solo shot tied it at 3-3 in the second. It was Lindsey's team-leading 15th home run of the year.
Melina Seiferd's solo home run put Hinds up 4-3 in the top of the third.
But the Bobcats took command with eight runs in the bottom of the third.
Henson's two-run single put Jones up 5-4 and Smith followed with a two-run double. McLellan's RBI single made it 8-4 and
Mackenzie Jones (South Jones) followed an RBI single.
Sarah Ballard (Purvis) and Pevey each followed with RBI singles to make it 11-4.
Lindsey's RBI single in the bottom of the fifth ended the game.
Smith homered, doubled and singled and had three RBIs. Pevey had a home run and two singles and Ballard had a double and two singles. Lindsey homered and singled. Dixon had a double and Henson, McLellan and Jones added singles.
For Hinds, Seiferd homered, Emilea Roberts doubled and Hannah Tauzin and Macey Everett added singles.
Seiferd pitched 2.1 innings and got the loss, falling to 3-7. She allowed nine runs, eight hits and three walks. Starter Shaela Lawrence went 2.1 innings, allowed three runs and seven hits.
