Jackson prepares for state tourney

~ The Senior Babe Ruth team defeated Chaffee on Sunday

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- A day after qualifying for the state tournament the Jackson Senior Babe Ruth baseball team maintained its momentum Sunday and beat the Chaffee Senior Babe Ruth 11-7.

"We've got to the state tournament for the third year in a row," Jackson coach Paul Sander said. "We hope playing [Sunday] and [tonight] will help us continue to be hitting well when the tournament starts. If we can be hitting well when the tournament starts and continuing to score runs, then I think we have a good chance."

Jackson finished second in the Missouri state tournament and second in the eight-state Midwest regional tournament last season.

Jackson qualified for the state tournament Saturday with a 7-4 win against New Madrid Senior Babe Ruth in the first game of a doubleheader.

The team was scheduled to play a doubleheader with Chaffee on Sunday, but rain ended the first game after six innings and forced the cancellation of the second game.

With one out in the bottom of the third inning of a 3-3 game, Jackson pitcher B.I. Howard needed a double play when Chaffee hitter Daniel Dooley stepped into the batter's box with the bases loaded.

Dooley's ground ball was hit sharply to shortstop Trent Steffens, who was playing close to second base. Steffens scrambled to his right to make the play on the muddy field, tagged second and then threw to first for an inning-ending double play.

"I made a decent read on it," Jackson shortstop Trent Steffens said. "I barely stabbed it and barely got it. I kind of threw off balance. I made an OK throw, but [first baseman Andrew Minson] saved me on it."

The Jackson offense took over from there, scoring seven runs on six hits over the next two frames.

"We got hits in some pretty good spots where we needed them," Sander said. "It was really tough at the end to get an out in tough playing conditions. We found a way to get it done. I thought we hit well."

Chaffee's offense was lead by sophomore Jared Walker, who went 2 for 2 with three RBIs.

"He was throwing where I wanted it," Walker said. "I like them low. He was throwing them low."

B.I. Howard picked up the complete-game win for Jackson, allowing seven runs. Alex Crowe took the loss for Chaffee, giving up 11 runs over six innings.

Jackson improved to 23-4 on the season with the win, while Chaffee finished the season 12-14.

Despite not winning enough games to qualify for the postseason, Chaffee coach Aaron Horrell said his team had several positives to take away from this summer. He said his team's pitching and defense were strengths heading into the summer, and they did not disappoint. He also felt his team improved one of its weaknesses -- hitting.

"I was really pleased. We did this pretty much because some of the kids wouldn't have played anywhere this summer," Horrell said. "We needed to get those kids to play so we could better ourselves for next year. It won't be easier to repeat as district champions at Chaffee High School."

The Jackson Babe Ruth will play a doubleheader today at Mounds, Ill., before beginning the state tournament this weekend in Charleston, Mo.