After splitting a pair of one run games in the first two contests of the Dixie Boys District 8 Tournament on Saturday, the JP11U boys All-Stars will play again at 7:30 pm on Monday at the Many Parks and Recreation Center.
After drawing a bye in the opening round of the five team tournament, JP11U fell to Jena by a 5-4 score but came back to defeat South Sabine 8-7 on Saturday. Their opponent is yet to be determined.
Jena 5 JP11U 4: After JP11U took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, Jena rallied to take a 5-2 advantage and then held off a Jackson Parish rally attempt. Cason Rogers and Jake Moak got things started by each singling in the bottom of the first. Using their speed on the base paths for a double steal, Rogers scored when the attempt to get him out at third got away and Moak went to third. After Raylon Bradford walked, Moak then stole home to give JP11U the two run lead.
Jena rallied to scored two in the top of the second inning and three more in the third. More superb base running led to Jackson Parish narrowing the margin to 5-3 in the bottom of the fourth inning when Colten Otwell walked and then stole his way home. Bradford walked and advance to second on a Waylon Stroud groundout before stealing third and home in the bottom of the fifth to close the gap to one run. Noah Spillman was named game MVP for his performance on the mound in relief and great defensive plays turned in.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E |
| Jena | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 0 |
| JP11U | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
Runs – Rogers, Otwell, Moak, Bradford
Steals – Bradford 4, Moak 3, Otwell 3, Rogers
JP11U 8 South Sabine 7: This time the rally was complete as JP11U advanced in the four innings contest that had more swings than a school playground. After South Sabine scored a run in the top of the first, JP11U came storming back with three in the bottom half of the inning. Noah Spillman and Cason Rogers walked to start the rally and then both advanced after executing a double steal. Spillman scored on a passed ball before Colten Otwell tripled to left field scoring Otwell and then came home on an error on the throw into third.
South Sabine scored another run in the top of the second but again JP11U put three up to take a 6-2 lead. Waylon Stroud led the frame off by drawing a walk and then stole second before scoring on a single by Conner Thompson. Lucas Bandy followed by getting hit by a pitch and then the pair complete another double steal. Henry Underwood coaxed another base on balls to load the bases setting up a Jake Emmons groundout to shortstop that scored both Bandy and Thompson.
South Sabine rallied to scored two runs in both the third and fourth innings setting the stage for the finishing, two out, game winning rally by JP11U. Using great discipline at the plate, Stroud walked for the second time in the contest and then stole second and third base. Then on a 3-2 count, Thompson hit a clutch infield single that tied the game before stealing two bases to move the winning run to third. Bandy then followed with the game winner with single to center field keeping JP11U alive.
Jackson Parish had five hits in the contest led by Otwell who smashed a double and a triple. Thompson had two singles that led to two runs scored and two RBI and Bandy added his game ending RBI single, while also scoring a run.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | R | H | E |
| South Sabine | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 2 |
| Jackson Parish | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 0 |
2B – Otwell
3B – Otwell
RBI – Otwell 2, Thompson 2, Bandy
Runs – Stroud 2, Thompson 2, Spillman, Rogers, Otwell, Bandy
Steals – Thompson 3, Stroud 3, Bradford 2, Rogers 2, Spillman
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