Tide finishes season undefeated

Jackson delivers game winning RBI’s with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning

New Orleans, La. – With an undefeated record hanging in the balance, it came down to the last at bat. Trailing 3-2 with runners on the corners, junior short stop Billy Jackson smoked pitcher Sammy Franks’ 95 mile-an-hour fastball down the third base line with a bases clearing double to complete the team’s 16th come from behind victory on the season.

For the first time in school history, the Douglas Tide High School Tigers finished a perfect season, 27-0, by defeating arch rival Mountainview Academy 4-2 on Friday night at Ratcliff Field.

Timing couldn’t have come at a better time for Jackson, who endured a two-week slump which left him hitting 1-of-27 over the course.  Surprise about the double, he stalled before he began to run.

“It didn’t seem real,” Jackson said.  “I stood and watched as if I was a fan before running the bases.” “I was stunted.”

Jackson startled the Lion’s dugout with a laser beam down the third base line.  The ball was hit so hard, it ricocheted off the left field wall into center, where centerfielder Jacob Rubio’s long throw was late to home plate.

It gave catcher Frank Neal time to score the winning run, who raced home from first base without hesitating.

“I noticed third base coach Wilson was waving me around to home plate,” said Neal, who admitted to being the slowest guy on the team.  “I knew Billy had hit the ball pretty well, but I also knew I don’t run very fast.” “I didn’t want to be the last out of our great season.”

Jeff Granger led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a ringing-double to right centerfield. Neal was intentionally walked due to his hot bat.  (He’s 17-of-22 in his last 22 plate appearances). Following, Jackson delivered the game winner.

“I was looking for a pitch to drive,” explained Jackson. “I was really surprised to see the fastball from Franks.” “He’s always pitched off speed junk to me in the past.”

In seven full innings, Douglas pitcher Preston Mercury (14-0) held the Lions to two runs, off five hits, with ten strikes outs and two walks.

“Preston has given us what we needed on the mound all season just as our entire pitching staff,” Tigers coach Anthony Hernandez said. “His off-speed stuff was on today.”

His slider and knuckle ball pitch accounted for eight of his ten strike outs. Coach Hernandez gave him praise for working in the offseason to become a more polished off speed pitcher.

Lions’ pitcher Franks (13-2) took the loss. His day concluded after surrendering seven hits, two walks, and seven strike outs which included seven full innings.

Dale Randle put Mountainview on the board with a solo shot in the top of the third inning. It happened after two outs in the inning. However, Preston retired Ken Jones and Robert West on called three strikes before Randle parked a curve ball over 408 feet sign in straight away centerfield. DH batter Greg Louis pop-fly out to center ended the inning.

The longtime rivals were meeting for the third time this season with Douglas winning all, 6-4, 10-7, and 4-2. According to Hernandez, the rival stretches back as far as to 1908, the year his great-grandfather pitched for the Tigers.

The middle innings turned into a pitchers dual until Lions second baseman Craig Walker beat out an infield single and later scored on Lance Reed fielder’s choice, to give Mountainview a 2-0 lead.

“We didn’t think two runs were enough to win the game,” said Tigers’ coach Rex Smith. We thought we would get more offense but Mercury pitched a great game as he’s done all season.”

After the game Mountainview’s bench piled the mound, jumping on top of its heroes of the day, Jackson and Mercury.