ELLISVILLE – Behind a nine-run fifth inning and another quality start from ace
Colton Smith, No. 8 Jones College sprinted past No. 16 Northwest Mississippi Community College 13-5 in seven innings Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Ellisville Super Regional at Community Bank Park.
The Bobcats (39-16) moved one win away from advancing in the best-of-three series and improved to 4-0 in postseason play.
Jones struck first in the opening inning when
Warren Hutchinson singled and later scored on a throwing error after
Dylan Champagne's two-out single to center gave the Bobcats a 1-0 lead.
Northwest (34-20) answered in the third when Mason Gillentine launched a solo homer to left to tie the game.
Preston Johnson doubled to open the fifth inning and Northwest capitalized on a Jones error before Mason McMillin lined a two-run single to center, pushing the Rangers in front 4-1.
But the Bobcats responded in emphatic fashion with nine runs in the fifth to seize control.
Brayson Graham opened the bottom of the fifth with a walk and stole second before
Brayden Quick and
Kelan Guidry delivered consecutive singles to cut the deficit to 4-2.
Sanders Ainsworth followed with a two-run single to even the game, and Jones never slowed down.
After
Gage Reeves' RBI-single gave the Bobcats their first lead since the opening inning, Graham added an RBI-single ahead of the knockout blow—a towering grand slam to left by Quick that capped the nine-run eruption and gave Jones a commanding 10-4 advantage.
Quick finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored and four RBIs, while Hutchinson went 4-for-5 atop the order. Reeves and Guidry added two hits each as Jones pounded out 16 hits.
Chase Russell delivered a run-scoring triple in the sixth and later ended the game with a walk-off RBI single in the seventh after Quick opened the inning with a single and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch.
Smith improved to 10-3 after tossing a complete-game seven-inning effort, the first 10-win season for a Bobcat pitcher since 2018. The right-hander allowed just five hits and three earned runs while striking out eight.
Northwest starter Caleb Doty (6-3) took the loss, allowing six runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings before Jones chased the Rangers' bullpen during the decisive fifth inning.
The Bobcats can clinch the series Thursday night and punch their ticket to Enid, Oklahoma, and the Division II World Series for the first time since 2016. Northwest is looking to force a Game 3.
Tickets for Thursday night's game can be purchased for $12+fee at
jcbobcats.com/tickets or pay $15 cash only at the gate. The game will be streamed at
jcbobcats.com/watch.
