Indians fall to Jones by inches in region tournament

EUNICE, LA - For the second-straight day, the Indians dropped an extra-inning game by inches in the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament. 

After watching Co-Lin sneak a home run out by inches in the top of the eighth on Thursday, the Indians saw Jones pick up a 2-1 win in nine innings when a two-out single was jarred out the edge of the glove of Connor Stevens (Amory) after making a long run and diving effort just inches inside the line in shallow right.

Trailing 1-0, the Indians got a single by Ivy Watts (Tupelo) to score Hannah Henry (Brandon) to tie the game in the top of the fifth inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, left fielder Katie Rutledge (Manchester, Tenn.) threw out the Bobcat runner trying to advance to third for the second out of the inning. Kara Hays (Mooreville) reeled in a routine fly ball in center to force the game into extra innings.

Jones put the winning run on third base in the eighth but Emily Robinson (Springville, Ala.) got out of the jam with a strikeout to end the inning.

The Indians went three up, three down in both extra frames.

Hays and Watts each went 2-for-4 with Brianna Posey (Florence, Ala.) and Stevens each adding a single to the Indians' six hits.

The loss eliminated the Indians from the tournament, but are still eligible for the NJCAA National Softball tournament in two weeks as an alternate selection.

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