Dunklin County grabs win, district edge vs. Jackson Senior Legion

~ Post 158 won the nightcap but dropped the important district game in the opener

SENATH, Mo. -- Rarely is the second run a team scores just as valuable as the first run in a 3-0 game.

Such a scenario materialized Saturday afternoon when Dunklin County Senior Legion Post 303 added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on its way to a 3-0 victory against Jackson Post 158 in the final District 14 game for both teams.

The win for Dunklin County left it tied with Jackson for first place in the regular-season district standings at 7-1. The tiebreaker to break a two-way tie is runs scored in head-to-head conference games between the tied teams.

Dunklin County coach Jamie Johnson didn't pass up an opportunity to move ahead in the tiebreaking category when Lane Spencer reached base with a one-out single and Jacob Trammel followed with a one-out double to left center in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Johnson, who was coaching third base, decided to take a chance on getting Spencer thrown out at the plate in an effort to move one run ahead of Jackson in runs scored in head-to-head district games before starting pitcher Tyson Campbell returned to the mound in the top of the seventh inning to try to put the final touches on a complete game shutout.

The gamble paid off following a crafty slide by Spencer at the plate to avoid a tag by Jackson catcher Chase Simmons.

"He slid to the inside of the plate," Johnson said about the close play at home. "The throw was on the outside. It was a great play by him to avoid the tag."

Dunklin County scored all three of its runs on RBI doubles. Logan Carter had a two-out RBI double in the bottom of the first inning for a 1-0 lead. Joel Sawyer's two-out RBI double plated Dunklin County's final run in the sixth.

"Carter got the go-ahead hit to give us a little breathing room," Johnson said. "But the last two runs were so big because of the district seedings because both teams are 7-1 in the standings so the tiebreaker is runs scored. They beat us 3-2 at Jackson and we beat them 3-0 today. That's why we gambled on scoring Spencer at the plate right there."

Campbell earned a complete-game win. He allowed two hits in seven innings pitched. He struck out nine and walked two.

Jackson did not record a hit after the second inning.

Jackson starting pitcher Cody Heisserer suffered a complete-game loss. He allowed three runs in six innings pitched. He allowed seven hits, struck out six and walked two.

"It was a good ballgame," Jackson coach Mark Lewis said. "I thought both pitchers pitched well. Dunklin County had a couple of big hits when they needed them and that was the difference in the game."

Jackson's best scoring chance came in the top of the first inning when it had runners at second and third base with two outs after Heisserer reached on an error with one out and Chase Simmons connected for a two-out double. Campbell got Cody Harris to ground out to end the threat.

Jackson snapped Dunklin County's 14-game winning-streak with a 6-5 win in Game 2. The second game of the doubleheader was a nondistrict game.

Dunklin County led 1-0 after three innings of Game 2 before a six-run fourth inning put Jackson on top for good.

Jackson sent 11 hitters to the plate in the fourth inning.

Harris tied the game at 1-1 with an RBI double and later scored the go-ahead run for Jackson from third base on a wild pitch. Jordan Hadden had a two-RBI single for Jackson in the fourth and Trent Wills followed with an RBI single.

Joe Elfrink earned the win. He allowed two runs in five-plus innings of work. Kelby Brown pitched two innings of scoreless relief for Jackson.