TUSCALOOSA, Ala. –⁠ Colton Smith dazzled in 7.2 innings and Chase Russell was 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs as No. 14 Jones won the opening game of a three-game series, 5-4, Friday night at NJCAA DI No. 23 Shelton State.

Jones has won four straight over the Bucs, all one-run games. 

The Bobcats improved to 14-4 and the Bucs fell to 6-6. 

The teams will close out a weekend series with a 9/7 doubleheader beginning at noon at Buc Palace.

It looked like there might be a slugfest after six combined runs in the first inning, but both starters would settle in and hang zeros in four consecutive frames.

RBI-singles from Russell and Sanders Ainsworth, followed by a fielder's choice and error gave Jones a quick 4-0 lead top one.

Russell extended his hit streak to 21 games dating back to last year and has now reached base safely in 49 straight games. 

Shelton State got two back on an RBI-double and RBI-groundout to pull within 4-2 after one.

Smith retired nine of the next 10 and the Bucs' Gunner Dodd punched out nine against no walks in six innings.

The Bucs loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh trailing 4-3 but Smith would punch out back-to-back batters to escape the jam.

Russell's RBI-triple in the top of the eighth scored Talan Theriot after a leadoff hit-by-pitch to give Jones a big insurance run.

An RBI-double by Jarret Scott cut the lead back to a run, 5-4, but Caden Freeman entered for Smith and got a swinging strikeout to keep it there. 

Freeman retired all four batters he faced to get his first save of the year and 10th of his career.

Smith scattered three earned runs, eight hits and nine strikeouts to improve to 6-0 on the year.