1A Championship: Makynlie Jones pitches Vardaman past Taylorsville for 4-2 win in Game 1

HATTIESBURG — The Vardaman Rams are one win away from a 1A state softball championship.

Starting pitcher Makynlie Jones overcame a slow start and held Taylorsville scoreless over the final six innings to pick up the 4-2 win over the Tartars Tuesday afternoon at the Southern Miss Softball Complex.

Jones walked a couple of batters and gave up a two-run RBI to Emma Kennedy in the first inning, but worked around trouble in the fourth and fifth inning and retired the final six batters she faced to seal the win.

“I think I was just kind of nervous early,” Jones said. “I think it’s just because I’m a senior and I really wanted to win the game. It took me a while to find the umpire’s zone too. He liked it high and outside and I’m a low-ball pitcher, so I just had to make that adjustment.”

Her teammates picked her up in the fifth inning.

Madison Terrell, Kiersten Perkins and Jones all drew walks to load the bases with nobody out, and after Kendrailia Nash walked to bring in one run, Kyleigh Scott grounded into an RBI fielder’s choice and Perkins came home on a fielding error.

The Rams added an insurance run in the seventh on an RBI groundout from Nash that brought Terrell home from third.

“Nobody really hit the ball well today,” Vardaman coach Josh Hegwood said. “I think they had one key hit there in the first, and after that it was walks and errors and fielder’s choices. I just told the girls to keep fighting, because we knew it was going to be a seven-inning game, and maybe more.”

Jones’ final line was pretty sporty — she went all seven innings, allowing two runs on three hits and six walks with two strikeouts. Emma Rankin took the loss on the mound for Taylorsville.

Game Two in the series is set for 3 p.m. Thursday.