Onto Round 3
- Updated: April 29, 2021
Oxford scores 3 coming out of a weather delay, completes sweep over Jasper in second round of Class 6A playoffs
Thursday’s playoff scores
1A: Kinston 8-8, Winterboro 3-2
1A: Sweet Water 13-8, Woodland 3-2
5A: Madison Academy 4-6, St. Clair County 1-3
6A: Oxford 6-5, Jasper 1-2
By East Alabama Sports Today
JASPER – Oxford waited out a lengthy weather delay in the second game of its Class 6A playoff doubleheader Thursday night and when the game resumed it was the Yellow Jackets who delivered the lightning.
The game was tied 2-2 in the fifth inning when the teams were called in. When play resumed, Carter Johnson, Hayes Harrison and Miguel Mitchell all delivered RBI singles to carry the Jackets to a 5-2 victory and sweep of Jasper.
“We were all anxious to get back out there and play,” Johnson said. “We all tried to stay locked in our zone and not let anything get away from us.”
The Jackets won the first game 6-1 for their 30th win of the season. They now play the winner of the Hartselle-Homewood series that begins Friday. It’ll be their first trip to the third round since 2016 at Cullman.
The Jackets (31-6) already had a runner at second when play was suspended in the second game. Peyton Watts was the first batter in the box when play resumed and he drew a walk. Johnson followed with his tie-breaking single to left and Harrison followed him with a run-scoring single to center.
The Jackets loaded the bases and after Jasper relieved some of the pressure with a pair of strikeouts Mitchell singled to right making it 5-2. The Vikings cut down a runner at the plate to end the inning.
Johnson and Harrison combined to allow the Vikings just one hit through the first six innings. Johnson worked the first four, gave up two unearned runs and struck out four.
“When (coach Wes Brooks) handed me the ball, the only thing going through my head was to throw as many quality pitches and get as many quality innings as I could,” Johnson said. “I had one of the best defenses in the state playing behind me so it’s easy to do your job and let them do their thing.”
In Game 1 Trey Mooney was money. He threw the first six innings, giving up six hits and striking out two. Hayes Harrison worked the seventh and struck out two in his inning.
The Jackets gave him a 2-0 lead in the third when Miguel Mitchell and Trey Higgins scored on an infield error with bases loaded off the bat of Peyton Watts.
They extended the lead to 5-0 in the fifth when Caleb Robertson and Carter Johnson scored on R.J. Brooks’ sacrifice bunt and Gavin Orcutt singled home Daveon Larkins.
The Vikings reached Mooney for their run in the fifth, but the Jackets got it back in the seventh.
Higgins had two hits in the game for the Jackets – a double and triple.
Game One
Oxford 6, Jasper 1
Oxford 002 030 1 – 6 6 0
Jasper 000 010 0 – 1 7 3
WP: Trey Mooney. LP: Parker Sawyer. 2B: Trey Higgins (O), Aiden McGinnis (J), Carson Alvis 2 (J). 3B: Trey Higgins (O), Connor Whitley (J).
Game Two
Oxford 5, Jasper 2
Jasper 000 200 0 – 2 2 1
Oxford 001 103 x – 5 7 4
WP: Hayes Harrison. LP: Peyton Thomasson. 2B: Carson Alvis (J).
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