Five-Run Third Leads Monterey To District Win Over Jackson, 9-1

by Rusty Ellis

GAINESBORO – The Monterey Wildcats used an explosive five-run third inning to take control early in their 9-1 win over district foe Jackson County on Tuesday.

“We found a way, we didn’t hit the ball extremely well,” said Monterey head coach John Looper. “We took advantage of the opportunities they gave us, and we put up a pretty good number.”

After a wild pitch in the first inning gave the Wildcats a 1-0 lead, they sent 10 batters to the plate in the third in the midst of their big inning. An error allowed the first two runs to score, before back-to-back RBI singles from Brayden Reams and Jacob Smith extended the lead to 6-0.

Reams and Smith each drove in a run in the fifth inning to extend the lead to 8-0, and the final Monterey run came across in the top of the seventh on a Jackson County error, as the Wildcats earned their seventh win in their last nine games by a final score of 9-1.

The third inning proved to be the difference in the game, as Looper says his team made sure to not let the chance to build a big inning pass them by.

“We hit it harder, they made a couple errors and we were able to take advantage of it,” Looper said. “We took advantage of it and were able to put up a pretty good number on them.”

The stretch of nine games has seen Monterey play some of their best ball of the year and finish in the top-3 in the district, something Looper attributes to the attitude his team has played with recently.

“I think we’ve just been playing harder and we’ve been playing more as a team,” Looper said. “Holding each other accountable, having each other’s backs, I think a lot of it has improved mentally.”

Up next for Monterey will be a home game against Cumberland County on Thursday, while Jackson will look to rebound against Red Boiling Springs.