ELLISVILLE – Solid pitching performances lifted No. 10 Jones College to a pair of wins over East Mississippi here Friday afternoon at Community Bank Park.
Chase Russell (Madison Central) allowed just a run in 7.1 innings as Jones took the opener, 3-1.
Colton Smith (Bossier City, La.) tossed a complete-game, five-hitter in the nightcap with seven strikeouts as the Bobcats posted an 8-1 decision.
Jones is now 23-8 overall, 9-3 in the MACCC. The Lions drop to 17-15 overall, 4-8 in league play.
The Bobcats will entertain Copiah-Lincoln in a 3 p.m. Tuesday doubleheader.
Jones 3, East Mississippi 1
Russell, a Southern Miss transfer, was sharp from the start as he improved to 3-1. He allowed five hits, walked three and struck out three.
Jones took a 2-0 lead in the third when
Gage Reeves (George County) led off with a single and
Talan Theriot (Luling, La.) got a one-out single.
Evan Rogers (Northwest Rankin) followed with an RBI single to left and Russell helped his own cause with an RBI single down the left field line.
The Bobcats made it 3-0 when
Dominick Regira (Gonzales, La.) led off the bottom of the fifth with a home run to right, his first as a Bobcat.
Micah Daniell (Oak Grove) followed Russell to the mound. He pitched an inning, allowed no runs, two hits and a walk.
Caden Freeman (Marshall Academy) retired the final two batters to record his fifth save of the year.
Braden Smith (Brandon) doubled and singled twice to lead the Bobcats. Russell singled twice and Regira homered. Theriot, Rogers,
Brice Ainsworth (Brandon),
Preston Scott (Mandeville, La.) and Reeves each singled.
Evan Hilliard pitched 7.0 innings for the Lions and got the loss. He allowed three runs,10 hits, walked one and struck out seven.
Caidan Bullard had two singles for EMCC.
Jones 8, East Mississippi 1
Colton Smith allowed an unearned run, walked none and struck out seven in seven innings of work to even his record at 1-1.
The Bobcats took a 3-0 lead in the first when Br. Smith had a two-run single and Ainsworth had a sacrifice fly.
A Reeves fielder's choice made it 4-0 in the third. EMCC got a run in the top of the fourth, but Br. Smith hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the inning to make it 6-1.
Cole Manuel (Clinton) had an RBI-single and Ainsworth had a sacrifice fly in the sixth to close the scoring.
Smith homered, singled twice and drove in four runs. Rogers, Russell and Manuel each had singles.
Otis Brooks III, the first of five EMCC pitchers, went 2.1 innings and got the loss. He allowed four runs (three earned), only two hits, walked one, hit six and struck out one.
Luke Sides had a double to lead the Lion offense.
