By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
The Gwatney Chevrolet senior American Legion team from Jacksonville had little trouble with Russellville in Sunday’s home game as the Chevy Boys won 9-3 at Dupree Park.
Jacksonville never trailed in the game and scored two runs in the first, third, fourth and fifth innings before adding one in the sixth to round out its run total. The Chevy Boys totaled 12 hits in the game, which was pleasing to head coach Bob Hickingbotham.
“Our catcher, Troy Allen, had three hits – two doubles and a single, and he drove in three or four runs,” Hickingbotham said. “We had three or four guys get two hits, which that’s what it’s all about. What we want them to do is to get some hits in order and today they did a good job.”
Allen and leadoff hitter Derek St. Clair scored the first two runs for Jacksonville after both hit singles to start the inning. The Chevy Boys went scoreless in the second, but picked up where they left off in the third.
Greg Jones and Jared Wilson hit back-to-back singles with one out in the bottom part of the inning. Courtland McDonald advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt the next at bat. Caleb Reeves singled later in the inning, but both Jones and Wilson scored on wild pitches to give the Chevy Boys a 4-1 lead.
Russellville scored its last two runs the following at bat in the top of the fourth, but Jacksonville answered with two runs of its own. St. Clair walked with one out in the inning and scored the next at bat thanks to the first of Allen’s two doubles.
Allen scored three batters later on Wilson’s third single of the day. Jacksonville built on its 6-3 lead in the fifth with two more runs. Like the previous inning, St. Clair walked to start things off and Allen followed with a double that scored St. Clair.
Second baseman Ryan Mallison scored the eighth run for Jacksonville. He walked during his at bat and later scored on a wild pitch to give the home team a comfortable 8-3 lead. Wilson once again kept the Russellville bats at bay in the top of the sixth, and the Chevy Boys added an insurance run to set the final score.
Reeves singled to the gap in right field for the first hit of the inning. Mallison caught the Russellville infield sleeping the next at bat with a bunt that went for a single.
LaDerrious Perry then came to the plate and hit into a 5-2 fielder’s choice, but as the Russellville catcher threw it to first in an attempt to get Perry for a double play, the ball sailed over the first baseman’s head and allowed Reeves to score to give the Chevy Boys a 9-3 lead.
Eric Moore got the win on the hill for Jacksonville. He started the game before turning the pitching duties over to Wilson midway through. Hickingbotham was just as pleased with the effort his pitchers gave along with the defense behind them.
“I thought both of our pitchers did a good job,” Hickingbotham said. “Jared Wilson came in and pitched the last three and did outstanding. We played good defense. We made a couple of errors but we played good defense.”
Allen and Wilson led the way for Jacksonville offensively with three hits each. Reeves was the only other Chevy Boys player with multiple hits. He had two, while St. Clair, Jones, Mallison and Perry had one apiece.