ELLISVILLE – Eli Walker tossed five innings of no-hit ball and Brice Deaton four shutout to help lift No. 12 Jones over East Mississippi, 5-1, Monday in a decisive Game 3.

Jones won the best-of-3 playoff series 2-1 and advances to next week's NJCAA Region 23 Tournament at Pearl River, a six-team double elimination field to decide who will go to Enid, Oklahoma.

In Monday's win-or-go-home final, Walker was making his first appearance since April 13 after being sidelined with an injury.

After a seven-pitch first inning, Walker struggled in the second with three walks and a hit-by-pitch that gave the Lions an early 1-0 lead.

But he was lockdown after that, retiring the next 10 EMCC hitters before handing the ball over to Deaton in the sixth. 

Six straight Bobcats reached to start the fourth, all started by Gatlin Sanders' double. Gavin Brassfield's two-run double down the line in right gave Jones its first lead, 2-1, and Josh King would follow with an RBI-single to make it 3-1.

Deaton did the rest from there, scattering three hits and four strikeouts over the next four innings for his first career save. 

Jones grabbed two big insurance runs in the eighth after a bases-loaded walk to King and catcher's interference scored Cole Manuel.

The Bobcats, 39-14, draw No. 3 LSU Eunice, 48-7, in Tuesday's opener at noon. The Bobcats have won seven of the last 10 over the Bengals.

Jones will be aiming for its first 40-win season since 2017.