Jackets win series against Bacon

Jeff Davis High dropped a 3-2, 8-inning game to Bacon County in the opening game of a 3-game series last Tuesday in Alma, but bounced back to nip the Raiders 7-6 Thursday in Hazlehurst in another 8-inning game and then closed out the series Friday with a 12-0, 5-inning win Friday in Alma.
The games left the Jackets with a 12-8 overall record and a 3-3 mark in Region 2-AA.
In Tuesday’s opener, the Jackets went into the bottom of the seventh inning with a narrow, 2-1 lead, but the Raiders tied the game and added another in the eighth to take the 3-2 win.
Bacon scored first with a run in the bottom of the first inning but JD scored their two runs in the third to go up 2-1. Cason Clance and Cade Walters opened the third with back-to-back singles and after Ethan Griffin reached on a fielder’s choice, the Jackets had runners at 1st and 3rd with one out. Hamp Hayes then hit a line drive to right which the right fielder couldn’t handle to tie the game 1-1. Cam Williams then singled to score Griffin to make it 2-1.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Raiders almost pulled the game out as they tied the score 2-2 and had runners at 2nd and 3rd with only one out. But shortstop Walters then fielded a grounder and threw to catcher Matt Glass to get the second out and a fly out ended the inning.
In the fateful bottom of the eighth, an error and a dropped third strike put runners at 1st and 3rd with one out. A passed ball allowed the runner to score from third to end the game.
The Jackets outhit the Raiders 8-6 led by Williams with a trio of singles and an RBI. Walters, Griffin, Matthew White, Trenton Clance and Cason Clance all had singles.
Williams started on the mound and pitched well enough to win, going seven innings, and giving up two runs on six hits, hit two batters and struck out three. Duke Stone took the loss in relief. He pitched the eighth inning giving up an unearned run on no hits, no free passes and a strikeout.
Thursday’s second game was a seesaw affair with the Jackets getting the winning run in the bottom of the eighth and, as in Tuesday’s opener, the winning run was unearned and came on a passed ball.
Tyler Brewer reached on an error to open the bottom of the eighth and Glass then walked. Trenton Clance’s sacrifice bunt put runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out. Conner Ray then walked to load the bases and pinch runner Cole Baucom scored from third on a passed ball.
The Jackets scored three runs in the 2nd to erase a 2-0 Bacon lead. The Jackets loaded the bases after two outs with a walk, an error and a hit batter. Cason Clance tripled to right field to clean the bases.
The Jackets got an unearned run in the third as Griffin reached on an error, took second on a balk, went to third on an Alex Mason sacrifice bunt and scored as Williams grounded out to second to make it 4-2.
In the fourth, Bacon got four runs on four hits and three Jacket errors to go up 6-4.
A walk, an error and a wild pitch gave the Jackets a run in the bottom of the inning. A Rea sacrifice bunt pushed Trenton Clance to third and Walters grounded to second to drive in the tying run.
The game was a sloppy one for both teams as they combined for 13 errors, seven by the Jackets.
The Jackets were out-hit 8-4 with Cason Clance’s 3-run triple leading the Jacket offense. Williams and Walters both had a single and an RBI and White singled. Rea, Mason and Trenton Clance all had sacrifice bunts. Only one of the Jackets’ seven runs was earned.
Mason picked up the win pitching the final two innings. He gave up no runs on no hits, walked none and struck out two. White started on the mound and went six innings. He gave up two earned runs on eight hits, walked one and struck out eight.
Bacon’s starting pitcher Kadin Wilson gave up six runs on only one hit as the Raider defense collapsed.
The Jackets scored in every inning of Friday’s 12-0, 5-inning blowout in Alma. Baucom pitched a 2-hit shutout, giving up a pair of harmless singles and not giving up any free passes. And the defense played without an error after committing a total of 10 errors in the first two games.
In the first, Trenton Clance led off the game reaching on an error and Walters then laid down a bunt and was safe on an error to put runners at 1st and 3rd. Clance then scored on a wild pitch as Walters went to second. Walters took third as Griffin grounded out and then scored on a Williams ground out to make it 2—0.
With two outs in the second, Trenton Clance reached on a dropped third strike and Walters singled to left. The ball got by the left fielder as Clance scored and Walters advanced all the way to third. A Griffin singled plated Walters to make it 4-0.
In the third, Carter Mullis came into the game to run for Glass and stole second. He went to third on a Rea fly out and Ethan Hulett then beat out a bunt single as Mullis scored, making it 5-0.
In the fourth, a hit batter, a fielder’s choice and a walk loaded the base with Jackets with no one out. Walters scored from third on a passed ball, as Griffin went to third and a balk pushed Griffin across the plate. A White double scored Williams to up the tally to 8-0. White took third on a wild pitch and scored on Rea’s sacrifice fly to right, making it 9-0. With runners at 1st and 2nd after two walks, pinch runner Mullis stole third and scored on a Cason Clance single to make it 10-0.
The Jackets made it 12-0 in the fifth. A Walters single, a Mason walk and a wild pitch put runners at 2nd and 3rd. Glass followed with a 2-run single to left.
Glass had a pair of singles and two RBI, Walters and Cason Clance both singled twice and drove in a run, White doubled in a run, Hulett and Griffin each had a single and an RBI, and Rea and Williams both drove in a run.
Baucom struck out seven Raiders in his 2-hit outing.
Score by innings:
JDHS 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 -2
BCHS 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 -3

BCHS 2 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 -6
JDHS 0 3 1 2 0 0 0 1 -7

JDHS 2 2 1 5 2 -12
BCHS 0 0 0 0 0 – 0