ELLISVILLE – A newcomer and a veteran helped No. 12 Jones College win its season opener here Tuesday afternoon at Community Bank Park.
Josh Lee, a redshirt-freshman transfer pitcher from Southeastern Louisiana, tossed 5.0 innings of shutout baseball and
Evan Rogers, a redshirt sophomore from Northwest Rankin, blasted a three-run home run in the first inning to lead the Bobcats to a 12-2, seven-inning victory over Coastal Alabama-South.
Lee allowed no runs, three hits, walked none and struck out three to gain the win.
Collin Pipkins (Greene County) pitched the final 2.0 innings, allowing two runs, four hits and a walk.
Rogers had a home run, single and drove in four runs.
TJ Dunsford (Grand Bay, Ala.) doubled twice, singled and had two RBIs.
Chase Russell (MRA) had two singles with
Dominick Regira (Gonzales, La.) getting a double and
Talan Theriot (Luling, La.) and
Brice Ainsworth (Brandon) adding singles.
In the bottom of the first,
Bryson Jones (Northwest Rankin) walked, Regira doubled and Rogers followed with a three-run blast over the left field wall.
Braden Smith's (Brandon) sacrifice fly to left scored Russell in the third and Ainsworth scored on the front end of a double steal in the fifth to make it 5-0.
Jones sent 11 batters to the plate and scored seven runs in the fifth to take a 12-0 lead. Dunsford had a two-run double to close the inning.
Silas Cunningham blasted a two-run home run for the Coyotes in the sixth.
Starter Spencer Nicholas went 4.0 innings, allowed five earned runs, six hits, walked two, struck out two and took the loss.
The two teams will meet again in a 3 p.m. contest Thursday at Bay Minette, Ala.
