ELLISVILLE – The Copiah-Lincoln Lady Wolves softball team rallied late in game one against the No. 15 Jones Lady Bobcats, but their surge fell just short as Jones held on to take a 5-4 win on Friday. In game two the Lady Bobcats posted 12 hits in a 14-3 win.

Jones 5, Co-Lin 4 

The Lady Wolves (11-8, 3-3) trailed Jones (17-0, 4-0), five to zero, until the top of the fifth inning. Kristen Byrd started the Lady Wolves off with a single and that was followed by a two run homerun by freshman Brooke Laigast.

The Lady Wolves added two more runs in the top of the seventh. With two outs, Laigast reached on an error by the Jones shortstop. That hit was followed by a single by Kayla Craft and a single by Hannah Roberts. Breanna McKenzie then singled for Co-Lin, bringing home Laigast and Craft, and the Lady Wolves cut the lead to 5-4 with two outs in the top of the seventh. Roberts advanced to third on the hit, but the tying run got no closer as Jones forced a popup on the next at bat and the game ended.

Co-Lin ace Brooke Gonzales (8-2) took the loss after giving up four earned runs on eight hits. Gonzales struck out one and walked four.

“Jones is undefeated for a reason, they have an outstanding team, but I’m very proud of the way we competed and the effort our team gave,” said Lady Wolves head coach Allen Kent. “Brooke was battling a migraine, but she worked through it and kept us in the game after they put up three runs in the first inning. We out hit them 9-8 and had the tying run on third in the seventh and all that came against an All-American pitcher, so I’m proud of the fight we put up in game one.”

Jones 14, Co-Lin 3 

The Lady Bobcats struck first, scoring four runs in the bottom of the 1st inning, but Co-Lin responded with two runs of their own in the top of the second.

Payton Sheffield was the first to get on base for Co-Lin in the inning as she drew a walk. Sheffield moved to second when the next Co-Lin batter, Beth Fortenbery safely bunted to get on base. Sheffield and Fortenbery both scored on the next play when Kristen Byrd reached on an error. Byrd ended up reaching third on the play.

The only other Co-Lin run came in the top of the fourth when Kayla Craft reached on an error and scored Adrienne Wallace.

Rheagan Welch (2-3) took the loss for Co-Lin after giving up five hits and four earned runs in 1.2 innings of work.

“We gave up some big innings in game two and we didn’t play nearly as well as we did in the first game. Our pitchers didn’t get it done, and hopefully we’ll learn from it and continue to get better,” said Kent.

Co-Lin travels to Meridian on Monday, March 10, for a MACJC South Division doubleheader with the Lady Eagles beginning at 1 p.m.