BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Jones College survived one elimination game Sunday afternoon before its postseason run finally came to an end Sunday night at the NJCAA Division II World Series at Gardner-Webb University.
Due to continuous rainfall and unplayable field conditions at Tyger River Park in Spartanburg, S.C., all games moved to GWU 45 minutes up the road.
The Bobcats eliminated MACCC rival Copiah-Lincoln, 5-3, in their third straight elimination game before falling to Des Moines Area, 5-0.
Jones closed the season 50-12, marking the program's seventh 50-win season since 2014 and a second straight 50-win campaign under head coach Tori Dew.
Against Co-Lin, the Bobcats answered every Wolfpack push and used a third-inning surge to take control.
Jones grabbed a 1-0 lead in the opening inning when Addy Shorter lined an RBI-single to left that scored Claire Andersen, who had reached on a leadoff single.
Co-Lin tied the game in the second on Morgan Chisolm's solo homer to center and moved ahead 2-1 an inning later when Chisolm delivered again with an RBI-single.
The Bobcats immediately responded with their biggest inning of the afternoon. Laney Little started the third with a double before Andersen singled to put runners at the corners. Mary Kimble Price then crushed a three-run homer to left and Mabry Eason followed with a solo homer to stretch the lead to 5-2.
Morgan Landry worked through five innings to earn the win, improving to 10-2.
Madison Sawyer picked up the final six outs for her second save of the year, including stranding the tying runs on base in the sixth inning after Co-Lin cut the deficit to 5-3 on Abby Burnette's solo homer. Sawyer closed the door in the seventh with a strikeout and two routine outs.
Price finished 1-for-3 with three RBIs, while Andersen went 2-for-2 and scored twice. Jones totaled seven hits, with Little, Eason, Shorter and Annaston Tate adding one apiece.
The victory pushed Jones into another elimination matchup just hours later against nationally-ranked Des Moines Area (59-11).
DMACC struck first in the opening inning when Macee Reiling doubled home Bri Tigges and later scored on a Jones error for a 1-0 advantage.
The Bears broke the game open in the third. Mackenzie Mohler launched a two-run homer to left and Mo Purdy followed with a solo shot to make it 4-0. Morgan Neuroth added another solo homer in the fourth to cap the scoring.
Jones threatened early and often but could never find the timely hit against Kierra Jungers, who tossed a five-hit shutout. Andersen collected two hits and stole a base, while Eason, Farrah James and Sawyer also recorded hits.
Breelyn Cain took the loss after allowing four runs in three innings, while Sawyer tossed three innings of relief and surrendered just one run.
The Bobcats stranded six runners and were turned away in several key moments, including leaving two aboard in the sixth inning after Andersen reached on an error and Eason singled.
Jones capped another memorable postseason run with a fourth-place national finish and its second consecutive 50-win season.
The sophomore class posted a combined 102-22 record with two MACCC runner-up finishes, a region championship in 2025, two Top-10 national finishes and two NJCAA Division II World Series runs to the final and semifinals.
Jones is 42-20 all-time in fastpitch softball action at the NJCAA Division II World Series and has made the championship game seven times.
