ELLISVILLE – Mississippi Gulf Coast put a scare into No. 4 Jones County in the MACJC playoff opener but fell 5-2 on Friday.

Avery Sanders (Fr, E.D. White/Thibodaux, La.) hit a two-run home run to tie the game at 2 in the fourth inning, but five straight walks by the Gulf Coast pitching gifted two runs to the Lady Bobcats.

"I told them I'm proud of them," Gulf Coast coach Kenneth Long said. "We played hard. The plays (Brittney Triplett) made diving for the line drive, Betty Mingo's double play, the home run, Mya Hopson's hit the eh gap. All that's good stuff, and we did it in a place that's hard to play in."

The Lady Bulldogs are 22-15, while JCJC is 42-3.

After allowing a two-run home in the first, Sanders tied it up in the fourth. Mya Hopson (Fr, Madison Central/Madison) broke up the no-hitter with a single to lead off the inning before Sanders' sixth home run of the season cleared the center-field fence.

Gulf Coast walked the first five batters in the fifth to push across two runs, and Jones County added another insurance run in the sixth.

Game 2 of the best-of-three series starts at 1 p.m. Saturday, with a third game, if necessary, immediately following.

"We're going to have to pitch better and not get behind in the count," Long said. "We'll have to play like we did tonight. We played with a lot of character and intensity. We had it tonight."

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