Indians run-rule rivals Cape Central

The Jackson Indians baseball team defeated rivals Cape Central 11-0 in five innings on Tuesday at Jackson Stadium. Waylon Hale led the offense of the Indians, going 3-3 with 3 RBIs and a two-run home run in the fourth inning. For the Tigers, Caden Chenowith, Ayden McGuire and Jathon Spain collected hits.

Jackson scored their first run in the first when Hale stole third and scored on a throwing error by the Central catcher. Hale hit an RBI double to left bringing in Garrison Brown for a run and Cooper Rhodes hit a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Hale for the 3-0 lead. Jaiden Glency scored on another steal of third turned throwing error by the Central catcher.

The fourth inning is when the Indians exploded for seven runs and earned themselves the mercy rule victory. Hale’s homer brought in Brown, a Glency single scored Rhodes and Owen Osbourne before a Lance Wilson single scored Glency.

The final two runs for Jackson from a wild pitch scoring Wilson before Drew Parsons brought in Peyton Kight for the eleventh run. Indians head coach Josh Roach said the team has been doing a lot of practice batting and it paid off today.

“We've been working really, really hard offensively. We've seen a ton of velocity lately and Jathon Spain throws the ball really well,” Roach said. “We were ready, we barreled some baseballs and got some big time hits and did what we needed to do.”

John Paul Sauer got the start and win on the mound for the Indians, going four innings with 10 strikeouts, one walk and just one hit. Ryan Turlington came on for relief and got the final three outs for Jackson, Spain was given the loss for the Tigers after striking out seven, walking one and allowing seven earned runs on five hits.

Roach said Sauer, who is still recovering from ACL surgery, did great for the first time he has gone more than two innings.

“Today was the first time he's gone past two innings, he threw four solid innings,” Roach said. “So when he's on the mound, and he's throwing strikes, we got a really good chance to win the ballgame. He did a really good job.”

Jackson will take on district foe Seckman at home on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. while the Tigers battle Dexter at home at the same time.