SPARTANBURG, S. C. – Jones College came up just short in its quest for a second softball national championship.
Copiah-Lincoln defeated the Bobcats 7-0 here Saturday morning at Tyger River Park in a winner-take-all title game in the NJCAA Division II World Series.
Co-Lin (49-10) had to win its final three games of the tournament to claim the title and they were able to do so. It was Co-Lin's first national title in any sport.
The Bobcats (50-10) finished runner-up for the fifth time in school history.
It marked the final game for Bobcat head coach
Chris Robinson. He will now be the fulltime athletic director at Jones.
In 14 seasons Robinson was 590-138 (.810) and led the Bobcats to 11 consecutive 40-win seasons. Jones won eight MACCC titles, made eight trips to the World Series and won the national championship in 2018 under Robinson.
The game was scoreless until the third inning when Zykeria Cole singled and Josie Meggs reached on an error. Madison Moak singled to right to score Cole and Meggs would later score on a wild pitch to make it 2-0.
The Lady Wolves put the game away with a five-run fifth.
Meggs led off with a single and Moak and Meeks followed with walks to load the bases with no outs. Abby Grace Richardson followed with a grand slam to give Co-Lin a 6-0 lead. Belle West and Faith Kivett followed with singles and Leia Phillips' sacrifice bunt would score West with the game's final run.
The Bobcats were limited to five hits with
Nia Luckett (Philadelphia) getting three singles.
Aaliyah Dixon (Hillcrest Christian) and
Kathryn Smith (Luling, Louisiana) added singles.
Luckett pitched 2.1 innings and got the loss to end the year at 16-3. She allowed two runs (none earned), two hits and walked one.
Meg Vinson (DeSoto Central) pitched 1.2 innings, allowed two runs, one hit and walked three.
Hanna Zeitz (Clinton Christian Academy) pitched to four batters, gave up three runs, three hits and walked one.
Holly Craft (Raleigh) pitched 3.0 innings, allowing no hits and walked two.
West went the distance and got the win to up her record to 11-5. She allowed no runs, five hits, walked three and struck out two.
Richardson homered for the Wolves. Meggs, Moak, West, Kivett and Cole added singles.
