Jackson Free Press

Needing to finish the third round and start the fourth round, rain finally stayed away from the True South Classic. The tournament had been hit by rain on the first three days causing delays from the weather.

Rain and delays couldn’t slow down Scott Stallings who won shooting 24-under for the tournament. Stallings carded a 68 for 4-under in the final round, to hold off Jason Bohn who finished second at 22-under, to win by two strokes.

Stallings played solid golf all week only recording only three bogeys for the entire tournament. He didn’t even have a bogey in the second or third round to go with the four eagles he posted in the first three of rounds of play.

The solid golf Stallings played was on display at the 18th hole. Up three strokes, Stallings played smart, conservative golf hitting safely from the tee, laying up and finishing the hold with a par to keep his lead at two strokes.

Stallings earned his second PGA Tour win (he won the 2011 Greenbrier Classic in a playoff). By winning the tournament, Stallings earned $540,000 of the $3 million purse.

Billy Horschel finished in third at 20-under and Bud Cauley finished fourth at 19-under with a group of three tied for fifth at 18-under. Defending champion Chris Kirk finished tied for tenth with two other at 15-under.

Brandon native, Jonathan Randolph finished in a large group that was tied for 21st place at 12-under.

The SWAC named its Player of the Week awards, and Jackson State University pitcher Rene Colon was named Pitcher of the Week for the conference. Colon earned the award for his work Sunday, April 17, against JSU rival Alcorn State University.

In the Tigers' 5-1 win over the Braves, Colon pitched a masterful complete game in which he struck out six Braves, gave up one run, one walk and scattered eight hits. The complete game is the first for Colon this season.

JSU jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning in which the Tigers scored on three hits but left two on base. Jackson State’s early lead was all Colon needed, but he got an insurance run in the sixth inning for the 5-0 lead.

Alcorn State was finally able to break through against Colon in the seventh inning with a run. Colon closed the door on the Braves in the eighth and ninth innings by allowing just one hit over the final two innings.

Colon came to Jackson State in 2014 after graduating from Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, Iowa. In his final season at EEC, Colon made 13 appearances with 12 starts and won four games but lost eight as he averaged 4.46 strikeouts per game and a 6.04 ERA. The senior was also named Second Team All-Academic while at ECC.

The 6-foot, 2-inch, 170-pound pitcher from Florida, Puerto Rico made 14 appearances with 10 starts in the 2015 season. He won five games and lost two as he struck out 75 and 22 walks with a 6.28 ERA.

This season, Colon has made 11 appearances with six starts and a 5-3 record. He has 38 strikeouts, 19 walks and a 5.24 ERA over 46.1 innings worth of work.

Colon is the nephew of Tampa Bay Rays third baseman coach Charlie Montoyo.

Jackson State is 21-17 overall this season and 8-8 in SWAC. The Tigers currently sit in second place in SWAC East division behind Alabama State University and are tied with Alcorn State.