Jones and Pearl River Split Doubleheader in NJCAA Top 3 Matchup

ELLISVILLE — Colton Smith pitched his third quality start in five outings, leading No. 7 Jones to a 4-2 victory in the first game of a doubleheader against No. 3 Pearl River. The Bobcats moved to 19-8 overall and 2-2 in the MACCC, earning back-to-back splits against Top 3 NJCAA teams. Pearl River improved to 23-7 and 5-1 in league play.

Smith scattered two runs on four hits over seven innings, striking out seven. Back-to-back home runs from Chase Russell and Sanders Ainsworth in the third inning gave Jones an early lead. Russell’s 404-foot homer to straight-away center tied the game at 2-2, then Ainsworth’s eighth homer put the Bobcats ahead for good. Smith did not allow a hit after the third inning and was relieved by Trevor Hodges, who earned his third save of the season with a two-inning stint.

In the second game, Pearl River scored five runs in the fifth inning to rally from a 3-0 deficit and earn a 7-3 victory. Kelan Guidry hit his first collegiate home run in the third inning to open the scoring. Dylan Champagne added an RBI-double and Gage Reeves a sacrifice fly to give Jones an early lead. Nico Williams’ two-run homer cut the deficit to 3-2 in the fourth, and Pearl River’s five-run fifth, with two outs, secured the win. Jones was limited to a single hit over the final three innings. Brayson Graham allowed two hits with six strikeouts over 4.1 innings, but also walked three and allowed five runs. Caden Freeman pitched two scoreless innings in relief.

Ainsworth and Champagne each had two hits for Jones, which out-hit Pearl River 6-5. The teams will meet again Saturday at 2 p.m. in Jones’ next game.

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