MERIDIAN – No. 2 Jones County could not come up with a win here Sunday afternoon at Scaggs Field vs. No. 20 Meridian.
The Eagles beat the Bobcats 16-8 in seven innings in game one, snapping an 18-game JCJC winning streak. In game two, MCC scored three runs in its final at-bat and beat Jones, 13-12 in eight innings.
With the losses, JCJC finishes second in the MACJC at 22-6 behind Pearl River, who ended up at 23-5 and won the regular season state title.
The Bobcats will now host Hinds in a Best-of-3 playoff series at Community Bank Park. Game one will be at 6 p.m. on Thursday with game two at 1 p.m. on Friday. A third game, if necessary, would follow game two immediately.
JCJC is now 37-9 overall, while Meridian is 34-10 and finished third in the conference at 21-7. They will host Northeast in a best-of-three series. In the other playoff matchups, Mississippi Gulf Coast is at Northwest and Itawamba travels to East Central.
The four series winners, along with Pearl River and LSU-Eunice, will compete in the six-team, Region 23 Tournament, starting May 16 in Eunice, Louisiana.
Eagles 16, Bobcats 8
(7 innings)
The Bobcats got multiple hits from four players but could not slow down the Eagles.
Trace Henry (Mooreville) had three singles, while Jake Mason (West Lauderdale) doubled and singled. Luther Woullard (D’Iberville) and Brandon Hale (Pontotoc) had two singles each.
Stephen Matthews (Tupelo) had a home run and drove in three runs. Robbie Woody (Madison Central), Tate Pepper (Ocean Springs) and Miguel Morgan (South Jones) added singles.
Cooper Brune (Ocean Springs) was the starter and took the loss, his first of the season. Brune lasted 2.2 innings, allowed seven runs, five hits, walked five and struck out two. Will Hicks (Germantown) went 1.1 innings, allowed four runs, four hits, walked two and struck out one. Payton Harris (Oak Grove) went two innings, allowed one run (unearned), one hit and walked two. Taylor Gatwood (Petal) went .2 innings, gave up three runs, three hits and walked one. D.J. Alexander (Gretna, Louisiana) faced four batters and did not record an out. He allowed one run, two hits and walked one.
Mack Pickering had three singles for the Eagles and C.J. Hughes belted a home run.
Luke Wallner, the fourth of five MCC pitchers, got the win. He went three innings, allowed one run, three hits, walked none and struck out one.
JCJC led 2-1 after one, but the Eagles would lead 4-2 after two, 7-3 after three and 11-4 after five. MCC led 12-4 after six. Both teams scored four runs in the seventh.
Eagles 13, Bobcats 12
(8 innings)
It was a wild one in game two.
JCJC battled back from a 10-5 deficit by scoring five runs in the top of the sixth to tie it at 10-10.
The Bobcats scored twice in the top of the eighth, but the Eagles won it with three runs in the bottom of the eighth. It was a scheduled seven-inning game.
Morgan had a big game for Jones with a home run, double and single, while Woody had three singles. Woullard had two doubles and drove in three runs, while Hudson Harris (West Jones) singled twice. Brune had a double with Henry and Matthews adding singles.
Will Freeman (Semmes, Alabama) went the final 2. 1 innings and got the loss. Freeman, 7-2, allowed four runs (three earned), five hits, walked four and struck out five. Starter Jay Simpson (Presbyterian Christian School) went 2.1 innings, allowed six runs, eight hits and struck out two. Bryce Fagan (Petal) went 2.1 innings, allowed three runs, three hits, walked two and struck out one.
Davis Bradshaw had two triples and a single and Blake Morris doubled twice for the Eagles. Hunter Stanley doubled, singled and drove in three runs.
Logan McDowell, one of six MCC pitchers, was credited with the win.
JCJC led 1-0 after one, but MCC led 3-2 after two, 6-3 after three, 7-4 after four and 10-5 after five.
