FULTON - The Hinds Community College baseball team advanced to the winner's bracket of the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) state tournament on Thursday, defeating Jones County Junior College, 6-4, in the opening game of the tournament, which is being hosted by Itawamba Community College.

Hinds (32-16) moves into Friday's winner's bracket game at 3 p.m., while Jones (31-18) falls into the loser's bracket game, to be played at 12 p.m.

Hinds will face winner Itawamba Community College, with Jones taking on Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, the losing team in Thursday's nightcap.

With the win, the Eagles of Hinds have assured themselves a place in next week's Region XXIII tournament to be hosted by Louisiana State University-Eunice.

Alex Gunn (Clinton) improved to 5-2 on the season with seven plus strong innings, and Tyler Akins (Madison) picked up the final six outs of the game for his sixth save.

Cody Brewer took the loss for the Bobcats to fall to 1-2 on the year.

Justin Smith (Florence) singled three times for Hinds, while Pierson Waring (Vicksburg) doubled and singled for the Eagles.

Akins and Daniel Gilbert (Ridgeland) had two singles each to help pace the Hinds offense, which finished with 12 hits on the day.