Jackson drops final game in tournament

~ A late Indians threat was defused by a game-ending double play in a 9-8 loss to Washington.

A seventh-inning rally fell one run short for the Jackson softball team in the Indians' final game of the Jerry Joyce Jaguars Invitational Tournament at Arnold Athletic Association on Saturday.

The Indians scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning and appeared headed for more. But Washington pitcher Jessie Eichholz snared a line drive by Alisha Craft and turned it into an inning-ending, game-ending and tournament-ending double play as the Blue Jays won 9-8.

Jackson finished 2-2 in the 15-team tournament, which was hosted by Seckman and had been postponed Sept. 8.

"I thought the girls came ready to play today and for the most part played great," Jackson coach Amanda Forester said. "When you come to a tournament like this you are going to play good competition and it is good for you whether you win or lose."

The tournament switched formats from a bracketed 16-team tournament to pool play when Festus had to drop out.

There were five pools of three teams and Jackson won its pool with a pair of victories.

Jessica Tuschhoff pitched a four-hit shutout and the Indians scored an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat Lindbergh 1-0 in their opening game.

Hana Bolen had a stellar game, ripping three triples and a double in Jackson's 14-3 win over Fox.

Jackson was placed in the Gold Division bracket, where it lost 5-1 to Eureka, another pool winner.

A six-run fourth inning proved to be too much for the Indians to overcome in the one-run loss to Washington.

Bolen had a two-run hit in that game. The Indians made things interesting when Maggie Baugh had an RBI hit and Clarissa Smith added a two-run hit in the seventh inning. But Eiccholz re-entered the game at that point and got the final three outs, two coming on the shot by Craft.

The split of the four games left Jackson at 13-8 for the season.

It was a long day for Central, which was the only one of the 15 teams to not come away with a victory.

The Tigers lost pool play games to Oakville and Pacific and then lost in the White Division bracket to Lindbergh and Fox.

Scott City lost its first three games but finished with a 1-0 victory over Kirkwood.

Oakville improved to 19-0 with the championship in the Gold Division. The Tigers defeated Eureka 5-2 in the title game.