By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

ELLISVILLE — South Jones has its sights set on the Class 5A South State championship series against a Jackson County foe yet to be determined.

And the Braves are even more confident after Friday night.

Home-standing South Jones knocked off Stone 6-3 to open the Class 5A South State semifinal series between the two teams. Game two will take place Saturday in Wiggins with the Braves looking to clinch and move on.

The Tomcats now need wins on both Saturday and then back on the road Monday to secure the series and advance. The winner of this series will meet the survivor of the East Central-Vancleave series. The Hornets took game one 4-1 Friday night.

In Ellisville, Stone actually led 2-1 after two frames. After the Braves took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first frame, the Tomcats immediately bounced back with two runs of their own as Daylon Collins posted an RBI-single to tie things up at 1-1 and then Hunter Parker’s run-scoring single gave Stone what would turn out to be its only lead of the game at 2-1.

And it would also be short-lived.

In the bottom of the third frame, Braves batter Cambridge McDaniel stepped to the plate as the second hitter in the inning after the lead off batter walked and calmly smacked a two-run home run to return the lead to South Jones at 3-2.

It would be a lead the Braves would never relinquish, as they added two more runs in the next inning to stretch that advantage to 5-2. The teams traded single runs down the stretch but the die had been cast.

Ryley Parker had two hits, including a double, to pace South Jones at the plate in the win and McDaniel drove in yet another run in the bottom of the fourth frame to finish with a game-high three RBIs.

Stone got six singles from six separate players in the loss. And the Braves also finished with six hits.

Southern Miss signee Cole Richardson worked six solid frames for South Jones to pick up the win. He moved to an impressive 8-1 on the season as he struck out 10 and walked just one while allowing all six Tomcat hits.

Anderson Hickman started and took the loss for Stone.