ELLISVILLE – It was a classic pitcher’s duel Tuesday evening at Community Bank Park.
Tyler Spring (Stone) and Will Hicks (Germantown) came out on top against Brooks Warren to lead ninth-rated Jones County to a 1-0 victory over No. 17 East Central in game 2 of a doubleheader.
In Game 1, the Warriors jumped out to an 8-0 lead after two innings and went on to defeat the Bobcats, 12-6.
The Bobcats, 18-6 overall and 5-3 in the MACJC, host Northeast Mississippi in a 2 p.m. doubleheader on Friday.
East Central, 18-6 overall and 7-1 in conference play, goes to Mississippi Delta on Friday.
Bobcats 1, Warriors 0
JCJC was limited to one hit in the game and it was crucial.
With two outs in the bottom of the second inning, Robbie Woody (Madison Central) drew a walk and advanced to second on a passed ball. On a 1-2 pitch, Stephen Matthews (Tupelo) singled into centerfield to drive in Woody with the game’s only run.
ECCC had a chance to tied it in the fifth.
Zach Hutchison singled, stole second and advanced to third on an error. With one out, Spring got a strikeout and a fly out to end the threat.
The Warriors had a chance to tie it or possibly take the lead in their final at-bat in the seventh.
Wyatt Ball was hit by a pitch and Will Ross walked. With one out, Spring fell behind 2-0 to Davis Lott. Hicks replaced Spring at that point and Lott ended up drawing a walk to load the bases.
But Hicks struck out Hunter Harper for the second out and got pinch-hitter Jay Johnston to pop up to second baseman R.J. Brown (Columbus, Georgia) to end the game.
Spring, 3-1, got the win. In 6.1 innings, he allowed no runs, two hits, walked two and struck out eight. Hicks got his first save, pitching .2 innings and recording a strikeout.
Warren pitched six innings and took the loss. He gave up one hit, walked five and struck out seven.
Ken Scott doubled and Hutchison singled for ECCC’s only hits.
Warriors 12, Bobcats 6
East Central took control early and never looked back.
Jacob Edwards led off the first inning with a single and Ryan Cupit draw a walk. After George Farid sacrificed, Wyatt Ball singled a run home and Scott followed with a two-run double to make it 3-0.
Deon Leflore led off the second inning with a single. He took second on a ground out and would score all the way from second on a wild pitch. Cupit and Farid singled and Ball followed with a two-run double to make it 6-0. Scott and Davis Lott followed with RBI singles to put the Warriors ahead, 8-0.
The Warriors had a chance to increase the lead in the fourth.
Scott reached on a two-base error and Alex Hay walked. Lott then hit a deep drive to right-center. Right fielder Brandon Hale (Pontotoc) made a tremendous diving catch, got to his feet and threw back to Mason at first base to double up Hay.
JCJC got on the board in the fourth when Travis Henry (Mooreville) reached on an error, Luther Woullard (D’Iberville) singled and Jake Mason (West Lauderdale) reached on a fielder’s choice. Luke Hudson’s (Presbyterian Christian School) groundout scored Henry.
ECCC went up 10-1 in the fifth when Hutchison walked, Cupit was hit by a pitch and Farid doubled them home.
In the bottom of the fifth, Tate Pepper (Ocean Springs) walked with two outs and scored on a Cooper Brune (Ocean Springs) double. Henry’s single scored Brune to make it 10-3.
The Warriors made it 11-3 in the sixth when Leflore’s bunt single drove in a run.
The Bobcats pulled closer in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Mason walked, Hudson doubled and Woody blasted a three-run home run to left to make it 11-6.
In the seventh, Farid singled, took second on a wild pitch, went to third on a deep fly ball to right and scored on a wild pitch.
Woody homered and singled, while Henry singled twice for the Bobcats. Brune and Hudson had doubles and Woullard singled for Jones.
Starter Will Freeman (Semmes, Alabama) got the loss, falling to 3-1. He went 1.1 innings, allowed eight runs, nine hits, walked one and struck out one. D.J. Alexander (Gretna, Louisiana) went 4.2 innings, allowed three runs, four hits, walked four and struck out six. Taylor Gatwood (Petal) pitched an inning, allowed one run and two hits. Payton Harris (Oak Grove) went two innings, allowed no runs and walked two.
Farid doubled and singled twice for the Warriors with Leflore getting three singles. Ball and Scott both doubled and singled. Edwards, Cupit, Hay, Harper and Lott had singles.
Starter Kolby Crowley went five innings and got the win. He allowed three runs (two earned), four hits, walked two and struck out one. Payton Griffin pitched .2 innings, allowed three runs, two hits and walked one. Dylan Marsh went the final 3.1 innings, giving up no runs and recording four strikeouts.
