SUMMIT – Jones combined to score 28 runs on 30 hits and endured a grueling, seven-hour day to sweep a softball doubleheader at Southwest by 11-7 and 17-9 finals.
The Bobcats rallied for four runs in the ninth to win a three-hour, 23-minute marathon in the opener and then scored a season-high 17 in a six-inning run-rule victory to close out the day at midnight eastern time.
Jones improved to 26-7 overall, 14-2 in conference play, to stay two games back of first. Southwest fell to 20-9 and 7-9 in the MACCC.
Jones 11, Southwest 7 (9 inn.)
Trailing 6-5 into the seventh, Jones used a leadoff error by Southwest to rally for two runs to force extras.
Taylor Duncan's sac fly tied the game at 6-6 in the top of the seventh and
Sydney Pevey followed two batters later with an RBI-double to make it 7-6. Southwest tied the game on a Bobcat error in the bottom half.
Kathryn Smith hit her sixth homer of the year, a two-run shot, to put Jones ahead 9-7 in the ninth.
Aaliyah Dixon followed with a two-run single to put the game away, 11-7.
Hanna Zeitz was fantastic in relief of
Nia Luckett, scattering three hits, and no earned runs to get the win in four innings.
Lewis and Smith had six of the Bobcats' 15 hits.
Jones 17, Southwest 9 (6 inn.)
Jones took a 6-0 lead after two innings, watched Southwest rally to tie the game at 8-8 in the fourth and then pulled away again to close out a six-inning win in the nightcap.
Lindsey hit a pair of two-run home runs in the first and second innings and Pevey hit the first of her Bobcat career to make it 8-2 in the fourth.
The Bears rallied for six runs in the bottom of the fourth, highlighted by a two-run double by Lilli Robertson and two-run double by Aundria Eirls to knot the game at 8-8.
Zeitz came on in relief of
Holly Craft and was once again efficient. Zeitz went the final 2.2 frames and allowed one earned run to get her second win of the day.
Dixon's RBI-single in the fifth put Jones back on top, 9-8, and the Bobcats rallied for nine over the last two frames.
Dixon, Pevey and Lindsey all homered to give the Bobcats 48 long balls on the year. Pevey, Dixon and Lindsey had three hits apiece.
Jones will close out a six-game road trip at Gulf Coast on Tuesday.
