JACKSONVILLE — The Jacksonville Indians issued the John Tyler baseball team a standing eight-count, with time running out on the Lions’ pursuit for a win on the diamond in the 2013 season.
Michael Sexton batted in three runs and Brett Eckles pitched a shutout and added two RBIs to lead Jacksonville to a 10-0 win over JT in a District 16-4A baseball game Tuesday night.
Jacksonville (2-6 in 16-4A) needed only 70 minutes to dispatch of JT. The Lions dropped to 0-20 on the season and 0-8 in district play.
Sexton struck out three JT batters — the side in the third — and yielded only three hits. Eckles ended the game in the fifth inning, inducing a force out at second with two JT runners on base.
The Lions lost perhaps their best opportunity to break a 19-game losing slide. Jacksonville defeated JT 7-2 in the first meeting, its lone district win before completing a sweep of the Lions.
Jacksonville answered the bell strong, charging out to a 4-0 lead in the first. The first four batters notched hits and scored for the early differential.
Eckles lifted an RBI single into the outfield for the first run, and Sexton slapped a two-run double before Ruston Diers drove in another run.
The Indians increased their lead to double digits in the third, using Sexton’s RBI-triple to get going.
Jacksonville tacked on four unearned runs, with a dropped fly ball bringing in Zeke Edwards from third and putting Cash Cleaver on first, who later scored on a passed ball on the third strike.
Dillon Rodriguez reached first on the third strike, took second when the throw trickled past first base, and eventually rounded the bags on a throwing error following a botched pickoff attempt at first.
Eckles eventually singled in the 10th run and handled business on the mound the next inning to close the affair.
The Lions finished with six errors on the night.
Dustin Smith went 2 for 2 to lead JT on offense. The Lions wind down the regular season with a home game Friday versus Nacogdoches, and an away game at Whitehouse April 26.
———
Jacksonville 10, John Tyler 0 (5 innings)
John Tyler 000 00 — 0 3 6
Jacksonville 415 0x — 10 9 0
Jeremy Wilson, Nate Jacobs (4) and Dustin Smith; Brett Eckles and Michael Sexton. W - Eckels ; L - Wilson. 2B - J: Sexton. 3B - J: Sexton. SF - J: Brayden Rawlinson. SB - J: Dillan Rodriguez, Eckles . CS - J: Brad Triplett.
RECORDS — John Tyler 0-20 (0-8); Jacksonville (2-6).
NEXT UP — Nacogdoches at John Tyler, 7 p.m. Friday; Jacksonville at Lindale, 7 p.m. Friday.