By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
Jacksonville got a good performance on the mound from Nick Rodriguez and an easy win Thursday night at Sylvan Hills. The Gwatney Chevrolet squad beat the hosting Bruins 12-1 in five innings behind a one-hitter by Rodriguez.
The team got the big win despite three starters suffering injuries or sickness. Second baseman Kenny Cummings and centerfielder Colt Harmon left the game in the first two innings complaining of back pain.
Later, outfielder Alex Tucker got sick, but there were no more substitutes left to replace him.
“I told him he’s just going to have to go out there and stand if nothing else,” Jacksonville coach Bob Hickingbotham said. I didn’t want to forfeit with a 10-run lead.”
Tucker actually made the last two outs of the game in right field, making a long, running catch for the final out.
Rodriguez was the story of the game. He threw a one-hitter, and threw the last four innings without giving up a hit, and gave up no earned runs.
Adam Sarna got an RBI single to centerfield in the first inning after Korey Arnold reached on an error at third base. That was the last and only hit for the Bruins in the game.
Jacksonville never trailed, scoring two in the top of the first. Jacob Abrahamson, Cummings and Patrick Castleberry started off with three consecutive singles, Castleberry’s hit scoring Abrahamson. Two batters later, Harmon’s 6-4 fielder’s choice scored Cummings.
Gwatney got three runs on just one hit in the second. Tucker and Chris McClendon led off with consecutive walks. Abrahamson’s ground out to short scored Tucker. Cummings then walked and Castleberry got another RBI base hit.
Sylvan Hills pitcher Blake Rasden held Jacksonville scoreless in the third. In the fourth he struck out the side, but three errors behind him afforded Jacksonville two more runs and made it 7-1.
The end was rather eventless, with Sylvan Hills’ pitching falling apart. Three singles by Rodriguez, MClendon and Troy Allen got one run across the plate, five walks and a sacrifice fly by Arvie Crudup accounted for the rest as Jacksonville ended the game early on the 10-runs-after-five-innings rule.
The win lifted Jacksonville’s record to 15-3 on the season. It went on the road to Conway last night after Leader deadlines. No games are on the schedule for next week, leaving the team with an entire week without games heading into postseason play, but Hickingbotham is trying to change that.
“I’m trying to get games for us on Monday and Tuesday, and after that we’ll be done until the tournament,” Hickingbotham said.
As of now, he’s unsure about the extent of his two starters’ injuries.
“Well I guess we’ll find out today,” Hickingbotham said. “One of them was hurting enough he went on home during the game. Hopefully everything will be alright.”
The Zone 3 tournament begins Thursday at Burns Park.
