By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
It wasn’t a great week for the Jacksonville junior American Legion team. After a five-game winning streak and running its record to 5-1, the junior Chevy Boys dropped two games on Wednesday and Thursday. Jacksonville was blown out at home on Wednesday, losing 15-4 to Searcy.
On Thursday, it lost a 3-2 lead by giving up six runs in the last inning to fall 8-3 to Stuttgart.
In Wednesday’s loss, both teams went down in order in the first inning, but Searcy posted 13 of its runs in a disastrous second for the home team. The visiting team’s bats came alive in a big way, recording five singles, three doubles and a triple to go along with one hit batter, two walks and two Jacksonville errors before the half-inning finally ended.
Jacksonville got one back in the bottom of the second on a base hit by Axton Ramick and three walks. The Chevy Boys added another run in the third on a solo home run by Peyton Williams.
They made it 13-4 in the fourth inning on an error and base hits by Jaylon and Coleton McGee.
Searcy then scored two in the fifth on two walks, two singles and a double that set the final margin.
In Thursday’s game, Jacksonville overcame a 2-0 deficit against Stuttgart with three runs in the bottom of the third. Adonis Fuller walked before being thrown out on a fielder’s choice by Coleton McGee.
Robert Johnson then doubled to left-center field to drive in a run. Jaylon McGee reached on an error and Bryce Overman was hit by a pitch before Ryan Ready hit an RBI single to left field to give the home team the lead.
Neither team scored in the fourth inning, and Stuttgart’s five runs in the fifth came without a single base hit.
Randy Davis took the mound for starter Jaylon McGee, and walked three-straight batters. Peyton Wil-liams was behind the plate, and gave up four passed balls, resulting in three of the Ricemen runs.
Overman took over for Davis and walked his first batter before getting a pair of strikeouts. The second strikeout ended with the fourth passed ball, and resulted in Logan Wymer replacing Williams behind the plate. Overman then walked three more, driving in the final two runs of the game.
Jaylon McGee pitched well in his four innings on the mound. He gave up two hits and one earned run while striking out two and walking four. He also went 2 for 3 at the plate, as did Coleton McGee. Fuller, Williams and Ramick each went 1 for 3.
Jacksonville (5-3) will host Paragould at 1 p.m. today, and Sylvan Hills at 6 p.m. on Monday.
