Jackson scores seven in the fifth, holds on to down Central 9-7

Jackson pitcher Jessica Tuschhoff called her team's game against rival Central on Wednesday exciting but also scary at times.

It appeared like it would be a pitchers' duel early, with the score knotted 2-2 after four innings. But both offenses came alive in the fifth inning.

The Indians scored seven runs in the fifth and would end up holding on barely as Central chipped away with five runs in the last three innings.

The teams combined for 23 hits, with Jackson overpowering Central 9-7.

It was the third time Central (8-13) and Jackson (8-12) met this season. Central had won the first two games.

"They've beat us twice now, and I think we just wanted to cram it down their throats a little bit that we can beat them at their own home," Jackson junior Megan Dockins said.

Dockins went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and a run batted in against Central ace Amanda Nichols.

CHUCK WU ~ cwu@semissourian.com Jackson's Hannah Thompson takes a cut against Central during Wednesday's game.

Two of Dockins' hits came in the seven-run fifth inning. She led off with a single and scored. She came up later with two outs and stroked an RBI single to center.

Dockins said winning Wednesday was important not only to avoid a sweep, but also to prove her team can beat the Tigers with the district playoffs quickly approaching.

Both schools are in Class 4 District 1.

"I think we've finally come together as a team this year," Dockins said. "And I think we showed them they're not going to hurt us anymore."

Central's Emily Myers fields a ball during Wednesday's game against Jackson.

Jackson, which posted a 16-11 record and lost to Seckman in the Class 4 District 1 title game last year, struggled offensively the last time it faced Nichols.

The Indians mustered only two hits against Nichols when they faced her Sept. 3. They lost that contest 3-2 at Jackson City Park.

Jackson has struggled swinging the bats at other times this season as well because it only returned one starter -- Tuschhoff -- from last year's team. While the Indians have six seniors, most of them were limited to junior varsity time before this fall.

"The first couple games we played against them we weren't playing as a team," Dockins said. "We joined three traveling teams together [this past summer] and we still weren't working together as a team. Finally coach and all of us got together one day and decided we're going to play as a team and finally got together and we realized how we were going to hit against her [Nichols]."

Jackson's hitting approach this time was to stay aggressive.

"We talked to them about being real aggressive in the box," Jackson coach Amanda Forester said. "We have been kind of relaxed taking the first strike and taking the second strike and then getting into a hole. I just told them, 'Guys, you need to be more aggressive in the box and up there wanting to get the hit and wanting to produce."

Central coach Amy Blattel was not concerned with Nichols' performance. She said her team's defense must improve.

Central made four errors. Two of them were costly.

"A pitcher is going to struggle once in a while and we've got to play defense behind her," Blattel said. "We made a couple errors at some key opportunities. That was the difference in the ballgame. ... I just think it's difficult for anybody to beat anybody three times in a season, especially three times in a row. We just need to take care of the ball. That's the bottom line. We'll be ready for districts."

Jackson banged out six hits in the top of the fifth. The first seven runners reached as Nichols also walked two batters in the inning.

"I think we just went out there and tried to hit good pitches," said Jackson junior Hannah Thompson, who went 2-for-3. "We kept our eyes on it. I think we just really picked our batting up. I don't think [Nichols] was off at all."

With the Indians ahead 7-2, Central scored three runs on four hits off Tuschhoff to bring the score to 9-5.

Central added two runs in the sixth to cut the deficit to 9-7.

Central put its leadoff runner on in the seventh, but Tuschhoff got Jennifer Willett to ground into a double play then struck out Tori Ourth.

Jackson 101 070 0 -- 9 11 1

Central 002 032 0 -- 7 12 4

WP -- Jessica Tuschhoff, 4-6. LP -- Amanda Nichols, 8-12. 2B -- Megan Dockins (J), Victoria Schabbing (C), Amanda Nichols (C), Jennifer Willet (C). Multiple hits -- Jackson: Dockins 3-4, Tory Smith 2-4, Katelyn Jones 2-3, Hannah Thompson 2-3; Central: Schabbing 3-4, Nichols 2-4, Taylre Scott 2-4, Emily Myers 2-3. Records -- Jackson 8-12, Central 8-13.