Jackets Sweep Indians
Jeff Davis High’s baseball team took a 3-game sweep over Vidalia last week, winning 7-0 Tuesday in Hazlehurst, 7-2 Thursday in Vidalia and 8-7 in eight innings Friday at home.
The wins gave the Jackets a 13-1 overall record and a 6-0 mark in Region 2-AA.
Tuesday’s game was highlighted by Caleb Leggett’s 4-hit shutout performance on the mound and a 2-run homer by Britt Metts.
After a pair of scoreless innings, Metts singled in Garrison Miles with JD’s first run, courtesy runner Ethan Hulett scored on a wild pitch, and Leggett singled to drive in Metts for a 3-0 lead.
In the fourth, Cade Walters doubled and scored when Garrett Taylor reached on an error.
In the fifth, Metts lofted his 2-run homer. And in the sixth, Taylor walked, stole second, went to third on an error, and scored.
Metts had a single, a homer and three RBI, Colby Marchant had a pair of singles, Leggett singled and drove in a run, Walters doubled and Miles singled.
Leggett went six innings on the mound, blanking Vidalia on four hits, two walks and nine strikeouts. Braydon Creech pitched the final inning, giving up a hit, walking none and striking out one.
Thursday, the Jackets got a complete game from Miles as he scattered eight hits, giving up one earned run, walking one and striking out three.
The Jackets got on the board first in the fourth inning, as Leggett singled and scored on a Caleb Chaney doubled. Chaney advanced to third and scored on a Hamp Hayes fielder’s choice to third as a wide throw to home by the third baseman enabled Chaney to slide under the tag to make it 2-0. Walters then walked and Taylor laid down a perfect bunt to single to first to load the bases. After Hayes scored on a wild pitch, Miles drilled a 2-run double to right to up the tally to 5-0. Miles went to third on an error and scored on a Marchant single.
Vidalia got a pair of runs in the sixth, and in the seventh, Metts singled and scored on a Leggett double to make it 7-2.
Leggett had a double, two singles and an RBI, Miles and Chaney both had a double, a single and an RBI, Hayes singled in a run, and Taylor, Metts and Walters added singles.
Miles gave up one earned run on eight hits, walked one and struck out three.
In Friday’s game the JD defense had its worst outing of the season through six innings, committing an uncharacteristic five errors, putting themselves in a 7-3 hole. But then things got wild. In the bottom of the seventh, the Jackets rallied, scoring four runs to tie the game 7-7.
Metts doubled to start the rally. Chaney and Hayes walked to load the bases. Creech singled over the second baseman to score Metts. Walters then drew a bases-loaded walk to bring Chaney home, making it 7-5. With Taylor at the plate, Hayes came home on a passed ball, Creech went to third and Walters took second. Then came the oddest play of the season. The catcher threw the ball back to the pitcher but the ball bounced away and the pitcher took his time retrieving the ball. So Creech raced home from third to score and tie the game 7-7.
In the bottom of the eighth, Marchant singled and took second on a Metts sacrifice bunt. After Leggett walked, Chaney was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Hayes then ripped a liner past the third baseman, Marchant trotted home with the winning run and the Jacket bench emptied, mobbing Hayes as he rounded first.
The Jackets’ first three runs came on a Chaney lead-off homer in the second, followed by singles by Hayes, Walters and Taylor and a bases-loaded walk by Marchant to give JD a 2-1 lead. In the fourth, Marchant singled in a run.
Marchant had three singles and two RBI, Taylor was 3-for-4 with a two singles and a double, Hayes had two singles and the game-winning RBI, Chaney homered, Metts doubled, Walters singled and had an RBI, Creech singled in a run, and Miles singled.
Taylor got his first win of the season on the mound as he retired the side in order in the seventh and eighth innings. He struck out four of the six batters he faced. Baucom started on the mound and went three innings, giving up three unearned runs on three hits, walking one and striking out four. Walters pitched three innings, giving up three earned runs on three hits, walking one and striking out two.
Score by innings:
VHS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -0
JDHS 0 0 3 1 2 1 x -7
JDHS 0 0 0 6 0 0 1 -7
VHS 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 -2
VHS 1 0 2 0 0 4 0 0 -7
JDHS 0 2 0 1 0 0 4 1 -8
