ELLISVILLE –
Sanders Ainsworth launched a towering two-run home run to left in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift No. 14 Jones College to a 7-5 victory over No. 3 East Central in game two of a doubleheader.
The Warriors crushed Jones, 27-6, in the opener here Monday evening at Community Bank Park behind a pair of grand slams.
Jones 7, East Central 5 (9 inn.)
In a scheduled seven-inning contest, the Bobcats trailed 3-0 going into the bottom of the second.
Brayson Graham (Wayne County) and Ainsworth doubled to make it 3-1 and
Chesley Rhodes (St. Stanislaus) tripled to make it 3-2.
Kelan Guidry's (Baton Rouge, La.) single tied it and
Dylan Champagne's (Prairieville, La.) bases-loaded walk gave the Bobcats a 4-3 lead.
Chase Russell (Madison Central) hammered a solo homer to right in the fourth to make it 5-3.
The Warriors got a single run in the sixth and tied it with a two-out double in the top of the seventh to force extra innings.
In the bottom of the ninth,
Brayden Quick (Germantown) led off with a single and was sacrificed to second by
Eli Wheat (Oak Grove).
Cam Keyes (Brandon) came in as a pinch-runner and Ainsworth, a Madison Central freshman, then followed with his game-winning blast.
Colton Smith (Bossier City, La.) tossed the final 1.2 innings and got the win, allowing one hit and striking out four. Graham started and went the first 2.0 innings, giving up two earned runs.
Trevor Hodges (Watson, La.) followed Graham and allowed no earned runs, one hit and struck out five in 4.1 innings.
Gage Thompson (Oak Grove) pitched an inning and gave up a run on two hits. Bobcat pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts.
Brant Melancon doubled and singled for East Central and Xavier Myles had a double.
Melancon, the last of four Warrior pitchers, pitched the final inning and got the loss.
East Central 27, Jones 6 (7 inn.)
East Central erupted for 16 hits and scored seven runs each in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings en route to the win. The Warriors hit three home runs, including two grand slams. Jones committed four errors in the contest.
The Bobcats made errors on the first two plays of the game and East Central took advantage to take a 2-0 lead.
Trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the third, Jones loaded the bases on a single by
Talan Theriot (Luling, La.), a Russell walk and a Champagne single. Ainsworth walked to force in a run and a double play brought a second run home.
But the Warriors went up 10-2 in the fourth and 17-2 in the fifth.
In the bottom of the fifth, Theriot walked and Russell followed with a two-run shot to right field to make it 17-4.
ECCC came back with a seven-run sixth to push the lead to 24-4.
The Bobcats got a run in the sixth when Rhodes doubled and later scored on a
Dakota Smith (West Jones) double. Jones closed the scoring in the bottom of the seventh when Wheat walked and scored on a
Walker Long (Sumrall) double.
Russell homered, Smith, Long and Rhodes doubled and Theriot, Champagne and Guidry added singles.
Russell, the first of six pitchers, was charged with the loss. He allowed six runs (four earned), six hits, walked none and struck out one.
Jacob Wooten and Will Williams smashed grand slams for the Warriors and deMarkez West added another roundtripper. Melancon had three singles, Mason Hickman tripled and West, Myles and Ryan Hardin added doubles. Williams and Wooten each had four RBIs and Myles, West and Melancon each had three runs driven in.
Trae Winn started, went 4.0 innings, allowed two runs, three hits, walked five and struck out six. Landon Moore went 2.1 innings and got credit for the win. He gave up three runs, four hits and struck out one.
The Bobcats (3-1) travel to Baton Rouge for a 2 p.m. doubleheader on Friday and will host BRCC in a 2 p.m. twinbill on Sunday.
East Central (1-1) hosts St. Johns River (Fla.) on Thursday in Decatur.
