The Jackson Indians bounced back after a tough extra-inning loss to Vianney with a blowout win over Dexter on Friday to cleanse their palate, but the sour taste came back on Saturday as they dropped both games of a double header to Nixa.
The Indians blew out the Bearcats 10-0 mercy-rule style, but then had to travel to Nixa, MO to take on a very tough Eagles team. The 12-1 Nixa squad won the first game 9-6 with three late runs in what was a back and forth affair that just didn’t go Jackson’s way. The second game of the dual set wasn’t so close, with the Eagles winning 13-3 via mercy rule.
The game against Dexter started off fast and furious for the Indians and the victory was pretty much set in stone after two innings. The Tribe put up a five-spot in the first after loading the bases with their first three hitters, setting up Quinton Borders to clear all three bags. He smoked a single to left and then the ball got by the left fielder and everyone came around to score.
Baden Hackworth then roped a double to left to score Borders for the fourth run before an RBI groundout by Landon Watkins plated another to make it 5-0.
The next inning Caden Bogenpohl followed up an RBI single with a booming three-run homer to right to put Jackson up 9-0. They would tack on another run in the fourth to reach double digits and held the Bearcats scoreless through five to trip the mercy alarm.
Bogenpohl had the big hit in this one and was 1-for-2 with two runs scored, a walk and of course the three-run bomb. Borders and Cooper Rhodes each had two hits. Borders drove in two with a pair of steals and Rhodes scored three runs and swiped three bags. The Indians had nine total hits and stole 10 bases.
It was a bullpen start on the mound in this one, with Brynson Garcia getting the opening nod. He went two innings, picked up the win and allowed just one baserunner (BB). Three other relievers combined to close out the final three innings.
That win gave Jackson 10 on the season, but they would get stalled there over the weekend. They traveled to Nixa and found it to be tough sledding against the Eagles. Things didn’t start out that way though. The Indians strung a couple hits together, used walks and HBPs to clog the bases and then took advantage of some defensive miscues to rack up five runs.
Nixa would slowly chip away at that lead though. They scored three in the third, one in the fourth and two in the fifth. Jackson added an additional tally in the top of the fourth, so after five the game was knotted up at 6-all.
The Eagles would strike again though, plating three more in the bottom of the sixth. Unfortunately the Indians went 1-2-3 in the top of the 7th and that sealed it.
Bogenpohl got the start and allowed three runs on five hits and a walk over six innings. Rhodes had another nice game with three more steals and went 1-for-1 with three walks and a pair of runs scored. Borders went 1-for-4 with two RBI and two swipes.
That loss may have taken the wind out of the Indians’ sails, because later that day in the finale, the Eagles really poured it on. They scored one in the first, three in the second and two in the fourth before Jackson got on the board. Three singles, a pair of walks and a sac fly got Jackson a crooked number in the fifth to get them back in the game at 6-3.
But the Eagles weren’t done. They erupted for seven runs in the bottom half of the inning and walked it off by triggering the mercy rule.
Carson McDaniel got the nod on the bump and had a bit of a rough day, getting touched up for seven earned runs over four innings. He allowed nine hits and three walks against two Ks. Rhodes and Jaiden Glency were bright spots on offense, as they had two hits apiece, but the Indians managed just six hits as a team.
It certainly wasn’t the way Jackson wanted to end a busy week of baseball, but this is a veteran team loaded with Seniors. These guys learn from adversity and use it as motivation against their next opponent. This was likely just a bump in the road during a long drive of a season.
Expect the Indians to bounce back next week when they take on Cape Central on Tuesday.
