Bulldogs upset No. 3 JC, settle for split

PERKINSTON — Karley Rouse baffled No. 3 Jones, and Mississippi Gulf Coast came within a whisker of a sweep of the Bobcats at Ross-Smith Field on Tuesday.

She threw a three-hitter to win the opener 4-0, and a seventh-inning solo homer by Jones beat Gulf Coast 6-5 in the second.

"A split's a good day against that team," Gulf Coast coach David Kuhn said. It's one of the best teams in the country. We had a great opportunity to win both, but you just have to tip your cap to Jones. I'm proud of the girls for the effort."

Gulf Coast is now 29-14 overall, 10-8 in MACCC play. The Bulldogs will travel to Senatobia on Saturday to play Northwest Mississippi. First pitch will be at noon.

Rouse picked up her fourth shutout of the year to improve to 14-4, blanking the Bobcats (38-7, 16-4 MACCC) for the first time this year. Her day didn't start ideally, allowing the first two batters to reach on a bunt single and a walk.

"I told myself you gotta give them the best shot to beat this team," she said. "You gotta bear down and do your best and get them out of it. And so, I just tried to keep them off balance as much as possible. Stay hard and don't give in."

Jones didn't get another runner in scoring position. She allowed only two more hits and a walk the rest of the way, striking out a season-high nine.

The Bulldogs erupted for four runs with two outs in the fifth. Brooklyn Mitchell (Fr., Gulfport/St. Patrick) had an RBI single to score Sanford, who singled earlier. Caroline Batson (Fr., Wiggins/Stone) singled to center, and the ball got past the center fielder to score Mitchell. Batson wound up at third, where Abby Lindsey (Fr., Decatur, Ala./Austin) doubled her in.

After a pitching change, Annaston Tate (Fr., Waynesboro/Wayne County) drove in the last run on an infield single in the 5-6 hole.

Lindsey had two doubles, and Batson had two hits.

Jones, which is in the top five in the country in home runs, hit four home runs in the second game.

The Bulldogs answered a two-run shot in the second with a two-run single by Baleigh Tullos (Fr., Hurley/East Central). After falling behind 3-2 in the top of the fifth on another home run, Gulf Coast scored three times.

An error on Mitchell's sacrifice bunt tied the game, and Batson gave the Bulldogs a lead with an RBI groundout. It was 5-3 after Lindsey's infield single scored another.

Jones got a two-run homer in the sixth before the deciding solo shot in the seventh.

"I thought (pitching coach) April (Byerley) and Carly worked great together Game 1," Kuhn said. "KK (Agner) and Jack (Byerley) did a really good job getting the kids ready to hit this week, being prepared."

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