ELLISVILLE – Pinch-runner
Josh King narrowly beat the tag at home to score the winning run in the bottom of the 10th on
Marquette Gibson's fielder's choice in Jones' 3-2 walk-off win Saturday night at The Bank.
Jones leads the Region 23 Best-of-3 series 1-0 and will go for the series win Sunday at 4 p.m.
Beau Bryans was electric in his longest career outing, scattering three hits and one earned run with eight strikeouts against three walks.
EMCC's Cooper Garrison was equally impressive and the hard-luck loser, throwing the entire game for the Lions. He punched out 11 with no walks and scattered six hits.
Scoreless into the fourth, Evan Radford's RBI-single scored Coby Holmes to give EMCC a 1-0 on its first hit of the game.
Brady Thomas' nuke to right field in the sixth put the Bobcats on top, 2-1, briefly before a pair of errors allowed EMCC to tie it at 2-2 in the top of the seventh.
Connor Brooks came on in relief of Bryans in the eighth and struck out the side. He tossed 2.2 scoreless with five strikeouts before giving way to
Brice Deaton to get the final out.
Cole Manuel was hit by a pitch to start Jones' half of the 10th, and after a sac bunt, Jones had runners at first and second with no outs. After a fielder's choice put runners on the corners, Gibson's slow roller to short allowed King to race home and beat the tag by inches to secure the walk-off win.
Thomas was the lone Bobcat with multiple hits.
Radford was 3-for-5 to lead the Lions at the plate.
