Borders’ big hit secures Saturday’s win for Jackson

Amid a successful season dominated by big games from Caden Bogenpohl and Baden Hackworth, it was fellow senior Quinton Borders’ turn to win the Warrior Belt.

On a windy Saturday afternoon as part of a triple-header at Cape Central High School, Borders hit a two-run double in the sixth inning to secure Jackson’s 6-2 win over Hazelwood West.

“I knew the wind was blowing like crazy,” Borders said. “So all I was trying to do was hit line drives but if I got it up it would be a fly out.”

Borders’ big hit brought his RBI total to 13 on the season, which is only second behind Bogenpohl, who has driven in 17 runs. Borders also leads the Indians in hits (14) and singles (10), and is slashing .467/.556/.733.

Borders benefits from being placed in the cleanup spot in the Indian lineup, sandwiched between Bogenpohl and Hackworth to form a trio of terrifying timber.

“He's been huge,” Jackson head coach Josh Roach said. “He's swinging the bat really well. He started the season in the 2-hole. He said he's really comfortable in the 2-hole but started out a little slow. So I moved him down to the 4 and I told him, ‘I'm not moving you from the 4, buddy, you're just your lights out right now.’ So he's swinging the bat really well.”

Borders said he made major improvements in his mental approach, which led to significant strides in his statistics.

“I think last year I've kind of struggled with that,” Borders said. “This year I've gotten a lot stronger in my mental approach to how baseball is played.”

Borders said the new coaching staff has helped him and his teammates improve mentally. Roach chalked it up to a product of the new culture he’s implemented within the Indians.

“That's the one thing that we really have preached this season with these guys,” Roach said. “There are a lot of high-level guys, talent-wise. They can play the game at a high level. Where we thought where we could get better was the mental part of it. We have what we call a mental minute before every practice where we kind of give them some little tools in their toolbox that they can use when they have some adversity or maybe something doesn't go exactly right, things that they can kind of go back to kind of reset themselves and keep themselves grounded and keep them in the present moment.”

Kaden Kendle and Carson McDaniel split the game on the mound for the Indians. Kendle started the game and went 3.1 innings allowing one run on two hits with four walks and two strikeouts. McDaniel threw the remaining 3.2 innings of shutout ball with one hit, two strikeouts, and no walks.

Jackson is slated to play at Oakville at 4:30 p.m., Monday, followed by a road game at Notre Dame on Tuesday and then at Vianney on Wednesday.