The important games are here now. The ones that count most. The ones that determine whether the Red Devils will still be playing in May.
Next up for the Red Devils is Peach County, which lost two out of three to Pike County last week. Nevertheless, the Trojans figure to be a challenge for the young Jackson team, going into Tuesday’s scheduled home contest with a 13-5 record, the best overall record for any Region 2-AAA team. The Red Devils and Trojans are supposed to meet again in a Fort Valley doubleheader on Friday.
Jackson opened its important region schedule last week by splitting a pair of games with Upson-Lee. While the scheduled opener last Tuesday at Jackson was postponed due to what coach Ryan Duffey dubbed “unanticipated circumstances with coaches’ families,” the games in Thomaston proceeded on Thursday without incident.
The Red Devils bounced back from an 11-1 mercy-rule loss in the opener with a resounding 11-3 win in the nightcap as Nick Gervasio struck out 11 batters. He allowed only three hits and walked three over five innings to help the Red Devils improve to 6-7.
Justin Hardy went 3 for 4 for the Red Devils, leading the attack on Upson-Lee starting pitcher Campbell Hinson, who gave up six runs and four hits — no hit bigger than Zane Walker’s second-inning double that put Jackson up 6-0.
The Red Devils were selective at the plate, drawing seven walks, including two for Johnny Vega.
Canaan Bernhardt finished the win for the Red Devils, turning in two scoreless innings while striking out four.
The first game figured to be a tough game for the Red Devils, going up against future Georgia Tech pitcher Jackson Blakely, and it lived up to the ominous expectations. The Upson-Lee righthander no-hit the Red Devils over five innings while striking out 13 while only walking one.
The Knights jumped on the Red Devils early, getting four runs in the first, highlighted by Hinson’s two-run double, which was the focal point of three-RBI day. Jackson starter Evan Novotny settled in after that, calming the storm by blanking Upson-Lee over the following three innings. In total, he allowed four runs and four hits over four innings, but control problems — particularly in the first inning — led to him walking six batters.
Upson-Lee blew the game open in the fifth inning, plating seven runs on only four hits.
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