By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Jacksonville Red Devils jumped on Oak Grove with one run in the first inning and never trailed Monday afternoon at Dupree Park. The Red Devils went on to win the non-conference game 9-1 to improve to 7-12 on the season.
On Friday the Red Devils beat JA Fair 7-2.
Jacksonville got just five hits, but took advantage of five Oak Grove errors to get the win Monday. The Red Devils took the lead on consecutive two-out base hits by Jason Regnas and Caleb Mitchell.
Jacksonville added three more in the second with a one-out rally. Sophomore Tommy Sanders was hit by a pitch, Blake Mattison singled and Travis Widsom reached on an error that scored Sanders. Cameron Hood then singled to drive in Mattison and Wisdom and give Jacksonville a 4-0 lead.
After Jacksonville pitcher Cleyton Fenton sat the Hornets down in order, Jacksonville made it 6-0 in the third. Mitchell hit a shot hard at Oak Grove’s third baseman, who was in tight and couldn’t hold on to the ball. Zach Thomas then doubled when he bounced one off the wall down the left field line to put runners on second and third. Terrell Brown and Sanders then got consecutive sacrifice grounders to shortstop to drive the two runners home.
Oak Grove got a runner on with one out in the top of the fourth inning. Fenton walked the Hornets’ James Erwin, but made up for the free base by picking off the runner before throwing a pitch to the next batter. Jason Lernigan then singled, but the next batter grounded out to second base to end the inning.
Jacksonville answered with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth, but had an opportunity for a huge inning. The Red Devils scored one run when Chris Noble, who had walked, stole two bases and scored on a groundball to short by Cameron Hood. The throw went home, but was high and not in time, and left Hood safe at second. Adam Ussery and Seth Tomboli then walked to load the bases wtih no outs, but Jacksonville got just one more run out of the situation. Caleb Mitchell hit a fly ball deep enough into left field to score Hood from third, but Zach Thomas struck out and Terrell Brown grounded out to the pitcher for outs two and three.
Oak Grove loaded thebases wtih two outs against relief pitcher Eric Berry in the fifth inning, but Berry got Oak Grove cleanup hitter Jason Lernigan to fly out to right field to end the threat with Jacksonville’s 8-0 lead still intact.
Jacksonville’s final run came in the sixth inning on a pair of errors at second base.
Oak Grove finally got on the board in the top of the seventh to set the final margin.
Fenton got the win on the mound. He threw four innings, gave up just one hit, struck out two and walked one.
Last Friday, the Red Devils scored four runs in the fourth inning to take control of a tight game against the War Eagles.
Jacksonville took the lead first with a run in the bottom of the second. Thomas doubled and scored two batters later on a sacrifice grounder by Mattison.
The Devils surrendered the lead in the top of the third, but took it back with two in the bottom of the same frame.
Hood singled and Adam Ussery walked to start the inning. Hood scored on an error at second base off the bat of Regnas. Mitchell drove Ussery home with a grounder to second base.
Jacksonville sealed in the fourth with a two-out rally. Mattison started things off with a single, but was held up there while the next two batters flew out and struck out. Hood then reached on an error at third that scored Mattison. Hood then stole second and third during Ussery’s at bat that ended in a free base. Regnas singled to score Hood and Mitchell finished the rally with a two-RBI base hit. Mitchell finished the game with two hits and three RBIs.
Jacksonville was scheduled to play 6A-East conference doubleheader last night at West Memphis. Look for details of that encounter in Saturday’s edition of The Leader. The Red Devils will also host Malvern Friday in the non-conference matchup.
