FULTON – The top two teams in the MACJC split a doubleheader here Wednesday afternoon at the Itawamba Softball Complex.
No. 1 Jones College blanked No. 12 Itawamba 7-0 in the opener. ICC bounced back for a 6-3 victory in game two.
The Lady Bobcats, 34-5 overall and atop the MACJC at 18-2, will host Northeast Mississippi in a 3 p.m. doubleheader on Monday.
Itawamba, 25-10-1 and 15-3, goes to East Mississippi on April 24.
No. 1 Jones 7, No. 12 Itawamba 0
Hallie Donald (Mooreville) was excellent in game one.
She allowed just four hits, walked none and struck out four as she improved to 19-1.
Jones took a 1-0 lead in the third when Raylen Blackwell (St. Patrick) singled and Mollie Singleterry (Wayne County) followed with an RBI double.
It stayed that way until the sixth when the Lady Bobcats took a 4-0 lead.
Raven Blackwell (St. Patrick) led off with a single, McKennah Sikes (Van Buren, Arkansas) singled and Kayla Collins (East Central) walked to load the bases. Raven Blackwell would score on a wild pitch and Rebekah DiLavore (Ocala, Florida) followed with a two-run double.
The Lady Bobcats added three more runs in the seventh.
Carlee Nations (Enterprise-Lincoln) led off with a walk, LP Trammell (Germantown) walked and Raven Blackwell reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Sikes reached on a fielder's choice and Collins drove in Trammell with a sacrifice fly to center.
After Raven Blackwell scored on a wild pitch, Faith Denton (Northwest Rankin) drew a walk. Another DiLavore double brought home Sikes.
DiLavore had two doubles and three RBIs with Donald and Singleterry getting singles. Raven Blackwell, Sikes and Raylen Blackwell added singles.
Summer Cryder doubled and singled for ICC with Mattie Meine and Samantha Conley adding singles.
ICC starter Olivia Burns went 6.0 innings and got the loss. She allowed four runs, six hits, walked two and struck out one. Mary Kate Butler went .2 of an inning, allowed three runs, no hits and walked three. Hannah Swallers got the final out, allowing a hit and a walk.
No. 12 Itawamba 6, No. 1 Jones 3
The Indians took a 1-0 lead in the third when Joanna Vasquez bunted and reached on an error. She was sacrificed to second by Hope Harbin and scored on a single by Meine.
The Lady Bobcats tied it in the fourth when Sikes singled and Collins walked. Jesse Smith (Seminary) replaced Sikes as a pinchrunner. Both runners advanced on a double steal and DiLavore's sacrifice fly to center scored Smith.
Jones would take a 3-1 lead in the fifth when Trammell singled and Gracie McCleskey (Caledonia) followed with a two-run home run.
The Indians would then score three runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Vasquez reached on an error and would score on a single by Meine. Rachel Sternisha reached on a bunt and Meine would score on another error. A single by Cryder scored Sternisha to give ICC a 4-3 lead.
ICC added two more runs in the sixth when Harbin singled and Meine followed with an RBI triple. Sternisha drove in the final run with a fielder's choice.
McCleskey homered with Trammell, Sikes, Collins and Raven Blackwell adding singles.
Lauren Stringer (Taylorsville) went 4.1 innings and took the loss. She allowed four runs (none earned), three hits, walked none and struck out two. Sikes tossed 1.2 innings, giving up two runs, four hits, a walk and a strikeout.
The Lady Bobcats were charged with six errors in the game.
Meine tripled and had two singles for ICC. Conley singled twice with Cryder and Harbin adding singles.
Kaylee Nelson went 5.0 innings and got the win. She gave up three runs, four hits, walked four and struck out three. Burns went the final 2.0 innings and got the save. She allowed no runs, one hit and walked two.