It was a wonderful two days for the baseball teams of three Jackson Parish schools, Jonesboro-Hodge, Quitman, and Weston. It would be hard-pressed to find two consecutive days where all three schools enjoyed the success the local baseball teams had. JHHS, QHS, and WHS won all six games played by ten runs or more, outscoring their opponents by a combined score of 85-4.
Highlighting the action was Weston High School, which claimed a share of the District 1B title by crushing Castor 19-0. Not far behind was JHHS, earning three victories in two days, beating Ringgold in a District 1-1A battle 15-0 on Monday before taking a doubleheader from Division III Richwood by 12-0 and 13-3 scores. Quitman also won both games played, leading off with a 13-1 victory over Claiborne Christian on Monday and then skunking Doyline 16-0 in a District 1B contest on Tuesday.
Weston stretched its district winning streak to 15 straight games over a three-year period and claimed at least a share of its third straight 1B title. Just as impressive is the Wolves’ winning streak against Castor, where Weston is 9-0 over the past seven years, with a combined score of 153-17, including an 112-3 margin over the past six games and a 60-0 run differential in the last three.
Weston 19 Castor 0: It was over before it even got started as the Wolves’ first four batters combined to hit for the cycle (home run, triple, double, single) and Weston batters reached base eleven straight times before the first out was made in the 17-run first inning that saw Weston send a season best 23 batters to the plate. Liam Weaver (2 RS, RBI) went 3/3 with a double to lead the 18 hit attack, while Ty Henderson (2B, 3B, 2 RS, 2RBI), Jase Borders (2 RS, 3 RBI), Drew Browning (HR, 4 RBI, RS), Bryce Tolar (3B, 2 RS, 3 RBI) and Remy Kennard (2 RS, 2 RBI) all got two hits apiece. Colt Guyotte (RBI), Beaux Oliver (2 RS), Eli Essery (RS), Leyton Younse (RS), and Kyptin Caskey (2 RS, RBI) all got a hit each, and Dawson Griffin scored twice, driving in a run. Henderson allowed just two hits and struck out 7 to earn the shutout victory.
Tigers Stretch Winning Streak to Four Straight
Jonesboro-Hodge won three games in two days, raising their record to 9-3 for March, the best outcome of a 30-day period in ten years. By beating Ringgold and Richwood twice by a combined score of 40-3, JHHS improved to 14-4 on the year and climbed to #11 in the Division IV power ratings.
JHHS 15 Ringgold 0: What a difference a few days make. Back on March 20, JHHS fell to the Redskins by an 18-2 score. Ten days later, it was a complete role reversal as the Tigers exploded for 10 first-inning runs to waltz their way to the easy 1-1A victory that improved JHHS to 4-3 in district play. Leading the offensive onslaught that saw JHHS pound out 10 hits and earn 11 free passes was Marquis Baker, who got on base in all four at-bats, scored 3 runs, and knocked in two. Kamal Cottonham also had a big game by going 2/4 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI, as did Dakota Knox and Trey Trosclair, who both got on base three times and scored twice. John Leblanc went 2/4 with a run scored and an RBI, while Jason Ayres (2 RBI), Cameron Foster (2 RS), and Jeremiah Turnage (RS) all had a hit each. Jhadarrious Bishop also scored two runs. As dominating as the Tigers were on offense, Trosclair was equally as good on the mound, allowing just one hit and striking out 12 in five innings of work.
JHHS 12 Richwood 0: Dakota Knox was one of four Tigers to score two runs and scattered 3 hits as Tiger pitching registered back-to-back shutouts for the first time in six seasons. Trey Trosclair and Jeremiah Turnage hit doubles, and Marquis Baker stroked a triple to account for the other three Tigers to score twice. Cameron Jackson also roped a “three-bagger” and knocked in a team high 3 runs for the fourth extra base hit of the 8 total JHHS earned against Ram pitching. Jhadarrious Bishop also got a hit and scored a run while Jason Ayres and Cameron Foster (RBI) also scored a run each.
JHHS 13 Richwood 3: The Tigers took advantage of seven walks and three hits to score 10 runs in the first inning for the second time in three games. Trey Trosclair drove in 3 with a double and scored twice, and Marquis Baker hit a 2 RBI triple and scored a run. Jeremiah Turnage, Jhadarrious Bishop, and Jason Ayres all scored two runs each, while Dakota Knox, Cameron Foster, Cameron Jackson, and David Ayres all scored once, as every batter for the Tigers scored at least once.
Wolverines Win Two in Two Days
Quitman closed out the month the way they began it by scoring the second-most runs in back-to-back games (29) this season, trailing only the 31 runs scored on Feb. 28 and March 1st. Just as impressive was the one run given up in two games, also a second-best season mark, as Quitman improved to 16-10, equaling the win total from a year ago.
Quitman 13 Claiborne Christian 1: Taking advantage of 7 walks and 7 errors, Quitman tacked on 8 hits, including doubles by Kace West and Zach Smudricks, who both scored twice and had an RBI each to take the “mercy rule” victory. Hudson Pullig knocked in 3 while Maddox Duck (RBI) and Tucker Barnett scored two runs each. Asher Rhodes, Conner Moak and Cail King, who scored a run and knocked on in, all got a hit apiece and Remi Upshaw scored a run.
Quitman 16, Doyline 0: Zach Smudricks K’d the first five batters he faced on his way to getting each of the 9 outs in the three-inning affair by strikeout to help Quitman improve to 3-1 in District 1B. Remi Upshaw had his best game of the season with two hits, including a double, two runs scored, and three RBI to pace the offensive attack that saw 20 Wolverines reach base via hits, walk, or error. Conner Moak (RBI) and Hudson Pullig (2B, RBI) scored three runs each while Kace West (2B, RBI) scored twice. Maddox Duck and Cail King (RBI) both scored a run while Smudrick helped his own cause with 2 RBI. Tucker Barnett also drove in a run as every starter either scored or knock in at least one run.