ELLISVILLE – A long, weather-disrupted two days turned into a pair of extra-inning baseball splits between No. 11 Jones College and No. 23 Northwest to close out the regular season.
The Bobcats won the opener, 3-2 in 11 innings, in Ellisville and Northwest won the finale that was delayed a full day and moved to Smith-Wills Stadium, 6-3 in nine innings.
Jones wrapped up the regular season 35-16 overall, 18-10 in the MACCC to lock in the four seed in next week's Region 23 Poplarville bracket. The Bobcats face fifth-seeded Copiah-Lincoln on Tuesday, May 5 at 6 p.m. Southwest and Hinds are in the play-in game on Monday.
East Central is hosting the other four-team pod that includes Itawamba, Northwest and the winner of East Mississippi/Northeast.
Jones 3, Northwest 2 (11 inn.)
The opener was a pitcher's duel early before turning into a grind that stretched into the 11th inning.
Northwest struck first in the fourth inning, stringing together three hits and capitalizing on a two-RBI single from John Whit Snopek to take a 2-0 lead.
Jones answered in the bottom half when
Kelan Guidry moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a throwing error by the Ranger catcher, trimming the deficit to 2-1.
From there, both pitching staffs took control.
Jones finally broke through in the seventh when
Sanders Ainsworth delivered a clutch RBI-double down the right field line to tie the game at 2-2.
Both teams had chances in extras but couldn't cash in until the bottom of the 11th. After working two walks and moving a runner into scoring position, Ainsworth came through again—lining a single up the middle to score
Warren Hutchinson and give Jones a 3-2 victory.
Ainsworth led the Bobcats offensively with two doubles and the game-tying and game-winning RBIs, while both bullpens combined for several scoreless innings to force the extra frames.
Colton Smith got the no-decision, working nine innings and allowing two runs on six hits with seven strikeouts.
Trevor Hodges got the win with two shutout frames.
Northwest 6, Jones 3 (9 inn.)
Severe weather interrupted the nightcap almost immediately, as lightning and a tornado warning forced a delay in the first inning.
Jones struck first in the fourth inning when
Chase Russell launched his team-leading 13th home run to right field for a 1-0 lead.
Northwest answered in the fifth without recording a hit, using three walks, a hit-by-pitch and a sacrifice fly to plate three runs and take a 3-1 advantage.
Jones responded in the bottom half, tying the game at 3-3 behind RBI-hits from
Gage Reeves and
Kelan Guidry.
The game remained deadlocked into the ninth inning as both pitching staffs settled in. But Northwest broke through in the final frame, capitalizing on a leadoff walk and a hit batter before delivering three consecutive RBI-singles to take a 6-3 lead.
Jones threatened in the bottom of the ninth with a leadoff single, but Northwest closed the door to secure the win.
South McCoy earned the victory in relief for Northwest, while
Canyon Reeves took the loss for Jones after allowing the go-ahead runs in the ninth after 3.2 very strong innings.
