POPLARVILLE – After getting run-ruled 11-1 in the opening game of a doubleheader Tuesday at No. 3 Pearl River, Jones could've packed it in.
But they didn't.
The Bobcats showed a ton of grit to rally for a huge 6-5, extra-inning win in Game 2 that was suspended into Wednesday afternoon due to lighting issues at Dub Herring Park.
Jones won two of the three season meetings and improved to 32-14, 17-9 in the MACCC. PRCC dropped to 40-10, 19-7 in league play.
Jones hosts Itawamba to close out the regular season on Friday, weather permitting. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 2 p.m.
Pearl River 11, Jones 1 (8 inn.)
The Wildcats homered three times, added four doubles and got a 7-inning start from Luke Lyon to run-rule the Bobcats in the opener.
PRCC scored four in the second and led 9-1 through four.
Beau Bryans' RBI-single plated
Chase Honeycutt for the Bobcats' lone run in the fourth.
The Wildcats were well-balanced with 14 hits from eight different players. Former Jones commit Triston Hickman was 3-for-4 with a double, home run and two RBIs.
Eli Walker was chased after two innings.
Francisco Elvira,
Tate Duncan and
Blake Summerlin threw the final six frames.
Honeycutt had two of the Bobcats' five hits.
Jones 6, Pearl River 5 (9 inn.)
The Bobcats trailed 2-0 after one and 5-4 after four before
Marquette Gibson's RBI-single helped tie the game in the fifth and eventually force extra innings.
Peyton Bell's RBI-double in the ninth scored
Gatlin Sanders for the game-winning run from second. Sanders led off the inning with a single and was then sacrificed over to second by
Tristan Pearson.
Trailing 2-0 in the fourth, two Wildcat errors helped Jones tie the game before an RBI-single by Bryans and Sanders RBI-double put the Bobcats on top 4-2.
PRCC responded in the bottom half of the fourth thanks to Will Passeau's three-run homer.
Drew Druckenmiller went 6.2 innings before Bryans and
Luke Lycette tossed 2.1 scoreless to keep Jones within striking distance.
Gibson's single to center tied the game at 5-5 in the fifth, scoring Bell after he led off the inning with a hit-by-pitch.
PRCC was held to two hits the final five innings and Bell's double would provide the big hit Jones needed in the ninth.
Preston Soper led off the bottom of the ninth with a single before Gibson helped turn a
ridiculous 4-6-3 double play to erase him. A groundout then ended the game.
Lycette got the win in two relief innings.