With the region schedule entering its homestretch, Ola continues to hold the top spot so far in Region 2-AAAA. Behind the Mustangs, however, parity is aplenty with six teams in the heat of the fight for three postseason spots.
Jones County is near the top of that heap, tied for second place at the end of last week. But last week also showed how even those teams battling for the postseason are, as the Greyhounds split with Stockbridge.
>> SEE PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE GAME
After a tumultuous nine-inning home loss on Wednesday by a score of 5-2, the Greyhounds exacted a big measure of revenge Friday on the road, winning 17-1.
The Greyhounds lost 2-0 on Monday to Ola prior to the second game between the teams this past Monday. JCHS, which after Monday was 14-4 overall and 8-3 in the region, hosts Hampton Friday.
“You can’t overlook anybody. You can’t say ‘this is two wins’ because any team in this region can beat you any given game,” Greyhounds head coach Noble Coley said.
On Wednesday, the Greyhounds trailed 2-0 after an inning. It took them seven innings to do so. The Hounds finally drew even, evening the score 2-2 to force extra innings. That came after JCHS came up just shy of getting on the board, stranding a runner in scoring position in the second, third and sixth innings.
“We didn’t give up and we fought back, but we didn’t do some things early that could have prevented that situation,” Coley said.
In the seventh, Jones County finally cashed in. After MJ Lane doubled and Trent Paulk singled, the Hounds had two runners aboard, and that scoring chance moved to runners at the corners after Landon Pettigrew reached on a bunt single. JCHS took advantage this time, scoring on a Brayden Lampkin infield hit after a hard liner by Cason Taylor to shortstop brought home the second Greyhounds run, tying the score.
Pettigrew kept the Greyhounds in position on the bound, going eight innings and giving up seven hits. He gave way to Landen Wilson and Cayden Tidwell. Stockbridge was able to load the bases, but the Greyhounds nearly kept the game tied, as the throw home to catcher MJ Lane appeared to arrive in time, but the game’s home plate umpire ruled that Lane’s foot did not touch home plate, a call that was protested by both Coley and Greyhounds fans. That, following a two-run error allowed the Tigers to lead 5-2, going on to win.
“We knew that they were going be a team we could not play around with,” Coley said. “If you let them hang around, they’ll beat you.”
Pettigrew and Taylor each had two hits in the loss with Lampkin driving in a run.
The Greyhounds took out their disappointment on Friday at Stockbridge. Up 3-1 after four innings, Jones County outlasted the Tigers in a large way in a 13-run sixth inning as Landon Pettigrew had three hits, MJ Lane added two and Lampkin drove in three runs. Kaylob Harris, Lane and Pettigrew each had a pair of RBIs with Noah Robinson tripling and Lane having a double.
