POPLARVILLE – Behind timely hitting and one big swing in the sixth, No. 20 Northeast eliminated No. 6 Jones College from the Region 23 Tournament Monday night with an 8-2 victory at Pearl River's Wildcat Stadium.
Northeast improved to 41-15 and will face host PRCC in Tuesday's regional final at 2 o'clock.
Jones falls to 46-10 and will have to wait until May 12 to see if they'll receive an at-large bid to the NJCAA Division II World Series in Spartanburg, S.C.
Northeast set the tone from the opening inning. After a leadoff double by Leah Walker, the Tigers manufactured the game's first run with small ball, capped by Chloe Skelton's sac fly to make it 1-0.
Kendall Bragg ripped a double down the left field line to plate two more runs and stretch the lead to 3-0 in the second.
Jones College struggled to find rhythm early against Northeast pitcher Tatum Berry. She kept the Bobcats off balance and leaned on her defense, including a double play in the fourth that killed a Bobcat rally.
Northeast added another run in the fourth when Bragg struck again, this time with an RBI-single up the middle to make it 4-0.
The Bobcats showed signs of life in the fifth, with
Madison Sawyer sparking three straight baserunners with a leadoff single and Jones loading them with no outs.
Makynlee Dickerson delivered a two-run single up the middle that cut the deficit to 4-2 but back to back fielder's choices killed the rally and kept it a two-run game.
That missed opportunity loomed large, and in the sixth, Northeast blew the game wide open.
After loading the bases, Sophie Gant crushed a grand slam to right field that turned a tight game into an 8-2 rout.
Berry (6-2) went the distance, allowing just two runs on six hits while working around traffic and limiting Jones to 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
Bragg led the way offensively for Northeast, going 3-for-3 with three RBIs, while Gant's grand slam provided the defining moment of the night.
For Jones College,
Claire Andersen collected two hits and Dickerson drove in both runs
Sawyer (19-2) suffered her first loss since March 1, walking a season-high nine and allowing eight runs on five hits.
