On the Net (video):
Bianca Chagolla talks about her 100th career hit & a storied career:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tml1i7muwbw
Ellisville, Miss. - Bianca Chagolla placed herself among the elite athletes in the history of the Northeast Mississippi Community College softball program during her final game in a black and gold uniform.
Chagolla collected the 100th hit of her phenomenal career as a Tiger in a 12-2 loss to nationally ranked Jones County Junior College in the first round of the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) State Playoffs on Saturday at Community Bank Park.
The Bobcats, who are No. 2 in the National Junior College Athletic Association's (NJCAA) latest poll, claimed the best-of-three series 2-0. Jones County (43-2) advanced to the MACJC State Tournament next weekend in Fulton.
Chagolla reached the illustrious mark in the third inning. After Chelsea Buntin reached on a fielder's choice and advanced on a passed ball, the sophomore from Riverside, Calif., ripped a double into the left field corner.
Buntin scored easily and Chagolla made it to second base standing up to become one of just a handful of Northeast players to cross the century mark in career base knocks.
"I just knew she was going to have that one good pitch and I knew not to miss it," Chagolla said. "I was taking all my anger out that I had from the error I made earlier.
"I feel really accomplished. I wanted to end on a good note. I just hope all the freshmen build up and try to get more than me next year."
"She's had an awesome career here," said Tigers assistant coach Jaisa Emerson. "She's just been a leader for us and has always believed in herself."
The Bobcats used a big first inning, just as they did in the opener on Friday, to pull away. Tori Dew started the frame with an opposite field RBI single that got Jones County on the scoreboard.
Makenzie Hawkins made it 2-0 in favor of the Bobcats shortly thereafter with a shot up the middle that plated Dew. Bailey Stokes then capped the five-run inning with a bases clearing double off the left field wall.
Jones County extended its lead to 8-0 in the following frame on RBI hits by Lauren Holifield and Stokes plus a sacrifice fly off the bat of Hawkins.
After Chagolla's line drive cut Northeast's deficit to 8-1, the Bobcats tacked on three more runs in the bottom half of the third when Reagan Gavin took a bases loaded walk and on Dew's second double of the afternoon.
Dew rounded out a perfect four-hit performance one frame later with a single that drove in her 95th RBI of the campaign, which is tops in the country.
Jones County was in position to further its lead in the fourth after loading the bases with nobody out. However, the Tigers (21-27) made a pair of nice defensive plays to get out of the inning with only limited damage conceded.
Whittney Gee made an unbelievable leaping grab near the left field fence and then threw Rebecca Monceaux, who failed to tag up on the fly ball, out at third base to complete the double play.
Yasmeen Cooper concluded the frame with a nice running catch on a popup that nearly landed between her and Marla Rudd in short right field.
Northeast threatened with two outs in the fifth when Chagolla was hit by a pitch and Trenisha King took a walk. But Holifield induced a groundball to end the game early due to the run rule and eliminate the Tigers from the postseason.
Holifield (16-1) went the distance for the Bobcats to earn the win. She did not allow a hit until the third inning when Shannon Goode hustled out a single on an infield grounder to Brittany Seale at third base.
Chagolla (8-11) was the starting pitcher for Northeast, but Avery Springer, Abigail Rish and Buntin all saw time in the circle. The foursome combined to give up just two earned runs in the contest.
"We kinda got a late start," Emerson said. "But we definitely bounced back and we never let up. We fought hard the whole game. All in all, the girls never quit believing in themselves and I look forward to having most of them back next year."
Rish capped Northeast's scoring in the fourth when she placed a ball just past a diving Gavin in right field. The RBI double plated Bre Agnew, who singled earlier in the frame.
Chagolla wrapped up her time in Booneville with a ten-game hitting streak. The Poly High School graduate also reached base in 16 straight outings.
This was the fourth playoff appearance in a row by Northeast and the 12th trip in the 13-year history of the fast-pitch program.