By TODD TRAUB
Leader sports editor
Jacksonville got out of trouble and made trouble for Marion in a 6-2, 6A-East Conference victory at Gwatney Stadium on Tuesday night.
Catcher Patrick Castleberry hit two home runs and starter Jesse Harbin dodged some early difficulties to pitch a complete game for the Red Devils.
“We just stayed the course and kept battling,” coach Larry Burrows said.
Castleberry homered in the first and hit a two-run shot for the big blow in Jacksonville’s four-run fifth.
Harbin allowed the first two batters to reach in the first and in Marion’s two-run third, but he got himself out of trouble with strikeouts and minimized the damage.
Harbin struck out seven and worked around six hits while walking none, though he hit two batters. He also helped himself with two hits and an RBI.
“Other than about five or six pitches he got up there and did his job like normal,” Burrows said.
Castleberry opened the scoring in the first when he drove a two-out fastball over the left-field fence for a home run.
The run came after Harbin gave up hits to leadoff man Michael Snipes and No. 2 hitter Tyler Johnson then struck out two and induced a force play to end the threat.
Harbin hit Snipes to open the third and Johnson followed with a double to put men in scoring position with no outs. Harbin struck out Bailey Buford, but B.J. Vaughn singled in a run and Johnston scored from third on a wild pitch for the 2-1 Patriots lead.
“Jesse didn’t do a very good job there,” Burrows said. “But once again some days you’re not going to. You battle through that and we did a good job of not letting too many big innings happen by not getting the leadoff man.”
Jacksonville went down in order in the second, squandered a hit in the third before scraping together a run in the fourth.
Kenny Cummings reached on a fielder’s choice in the inning and with two out, Harbin singled and Marion starter Korey Harley hit Nick Rodriguez to load the bases.
No. 8 hitter Alex Tucker then hit a dribbler down the third-base line and all runners were safe as Cummings scored to tie it while third baseman Nick Mitchell tried to tag Harbin coming in from second.
“We hit a lot of hard outs in the second, third and fourth innings when we weren’t getting anything,” Burrows said. “I think that shows the age of our team. We didn’t get frustrated.
“Out of those three innings I think two of our three outs were line drives right at them.”
The Red Devils broke the 2-2 tie with their four-run third.
D’Vone McClure led off witha double down the left-field line, Jacob Abrahamson hit an infield single and McClure scored on a throwing error by second baseman Drake Rowton, who was trying to catch McClure off third after Abrahamson stole second.
Castleberry then came up to hammer his second home run over the fence in left to make it 5-2.
Noah Sanders beat out an infield hit to short; pinch runner Landon Nolen stole second and took third on catcher Cody Gross’ throwing error, and with one out Harbin singled to center to drive in Nolen.
The Red Devils loaded the bases but couldn’t score in the sixth, but Harbin worked around a two-out double by Rowton to strike out Snipes and end it.
“Jesse is the kind of guy that sometimes the bigger the giant the better he plays,” Burrows said. “And then we got a lead and he sort of relaxed and let them back in it. But I never have to worry, if they’re good, what we’re going to get out of No. 14.
“What I have to worry about is making sure he stays with us for seven.”
