Bobcat Softball Knocks Off Co-Lin For Second Straight R23 Title

The Jones Bobcats clinched their second consecutive Region 23 Title after they defeated Co-Lin 11-9.

This game saw a similar run to last year’s Region 23 championship game, where they trailed to the Lady Wolves 5-1 after the first two frames. In this year’s championship, that’s exactly what happened. The Bobcats trailed 5-1 after two innings and 8-2 after three before breaking out offensively.

Co-Lin began the game with a solo homer in the bottom of the first frame before the Bobcats’ Meredith Fontenot smacked a solo home run of her own to tie the game 1-1. In the bottom of the second, however, Co-Lin crushed a grand slam to take an early 5-1 lead.

Breelyn Cain checked into the game during the third inning in relief of Jayden Sawyer and immediately slowed down the Lady Wolves’ offense, allowing only one earned run on hit in the next three frames.

Entering the sixth inning, Jones still trailed by a score of 8-3 before Laney Little led off with a double before Claire Andersen and Makynlie Jones each recorded an RBI-single to cut the lead 8-5. An inning later, Addy Shorter was hit-by-pitch in the top of the seventh. Shortly after, Kaleigh Steverson gave Jones life with a pinch-hit single.

Little notched an RBI-single and Anderson a fielder’s choice-RBI to shrink the lead to 8-7 with no outs and the bases loaded for the Bobcats. On the next at-bat, Makynlie Jones crushed a ball to center for a grand slam to give Jones its first advantage of the contest, 11-8. The homer was her 26th of the season which leads the team.

Jones then closed out the game to finish off an improbable comeback for the second straight year. Co-Lin had two home losses this season (22-2), and both of them came to Bobcats. Emily Richarde was 20-0 entering the championship game and was handed her first loss. Jones Head Coach Tori Dew spoke on the team’s performance.

“Just so proud,” she said. “Our kids had a belief in themselves and each other. They kept fighting and never let a moment get too big or too small. That’s what postseason is all about.”

The 2025 NJCAA World Series bracket and matchups will be announced on the NJCAA Network on Tuesday, May 13 at 2 p.m. as Jones College awaits their next matchup.

Author administrator Kellen Walker