Published: July 01, 2009 03:49 pm      

J’ville Dixie U15 girls head to state with 20-9 win

By Jay Neal

sports@jacksonvilleprogress.com

The Jacksonville U15 Dixie girls all-star team ripped Arp pitching for 15 hits while also benefitting from 14 Arp errors for a 20-9 victory in the finals of the district tournament. The game was played Tuesday night at Fightin’ Maiden Field.

Big innings were the norm in the contest as the locals scored six times in the top half of the first inning.

With Jacksonville leading 9-0 after two, Arp posted a large frame as well, plating a half dozen runners in the segment to cut the Jacksonville advantage to 9-6.

Leading 13-8 entering the final inning, the home town girls then added seven runs to the scoreboard, getting a double from Mackenzie Crow and singles off the bats of Katelyn Anderson and Kali Finch.

Arp pushed three runs across the dish over the final two frames, but it was much too little, too late.

Sara Cox went 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles, while Anderson went 3-for-4 to lead the Jacksonville scoring attack.

Ashley Jennings and Finch each posted a pair of hits while Paityn Taylor, Jessica Hern, Jalyn Stone and Crow each garnered a single in the contest.

Crow started the game for Jacksonville and pitched 1 2/3 innings, striking out four.

Anderson then came on in relief, tossing four innings and ringing up 10 Arp batters.

Elisha Holcomb finished the final 1 1/3 for Jacksonville.

Jacksonville now advances to the state tournament in Liberty with their first game slated for July 10 at a time and against an opponent to be announced.

Arp managed to get just five hits off the Jacksonville pitching trio.

Defensively, Hernandez made a nice play at second in the sixth inning, robbing the Arp batter of a hit while Jacksonville catcher Savannah Hulsey teamed up with Hernandez to nail an Arp runner attempting to steal secondbase in the third stanza.

Jacksonville now advances to the state tournament in Liberty with their first game slated for July 10 at a time and against an opponent to be announced.