The Eagles, who came into the game 9-0 and seeded second in the tournament to top seeded Oxford found themselves down 10-1 after two innings and just couldn’t produce enough offense to overtake the Yellow Jacket lead.
Jacksonville beat Alexandria 6-5 in the semi-finals to make it to the championship game.
Against Oxford the Eagles scored quickly in the first inning when Will Thompson, named Best Offensive Player of the tournament, hit a double and scored on an error on a hard hit ball by Samuel Sawyer.
The Yellow Jackets came back with a fury in the bottom of the inning scorching the Eagles for five runs. Oxford had three singles and then a 3-run homerun for the five run inning.
The Yellow Jackets added five more runs in the second inning as errors became an epidemic for the Eagle players.
Jacksonville was able to score two more runs in the fourth inning on singles by Jake Smith, Jake Williams and Colby Bryant.
A single by Thompson scored Williams in the sixth inning but the Eagles could get no closer.
The best play of the tournament and perhaps the best play of the season occurred in the top of the fifth. With two outs and two Jacksonville runners on base, Trevor O’Day came up to the plate and blasted a shot that appeared to be a certain 3-run home run. Oxford’s Taylor McCracken had different plans in store. The centerfielder raced back and leaned his arm over the centerfield fence as the ball sailed over, right into his glove.
Williams, Bryant, Brock Sanderson, David Logsdon and Smith all had hits for the Eagles.
Sanderson took the loss on the mound.
Named to the All-Tournament team were Thompson, Williams, O’Day and Nick Quinn.
Jacksonville wouldn’t have made it to the championship game without some top performances by several players against the Valley Cubs.
Alexandria, the No.3 seed in the tournament, flexed their muscles early by taking a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
Jacksonville scored two of their own in the bottom half of the inning when Jake Williams started the game off for his team with a double off the fence in left field.
A double by Thompson scored Williams and a triple by Zach Shadoan moved Thompson across the plate.
The Cubs added one more run in the second inning but Jacksonville once again cut back into the lead in the fifth. A hard hit ball by Sawyer that was misplayed for an error scored Williams who had walked and the Eagles were within one, 4-3.
The Eagles tied up the game in the sixth when Quinn singled past the shortstop and Shed Long tied up the game on a double to centerfield.
Jacksonville fans held their breath in the eighth inning when Alexandria scored to take a 5-4 lead but the Eagles had some heroics left.
Eagle leftfielder Logsdon got the bench hyped up when he hit a double to start off the inning. A single by O’Day brought in Logsdon to tie up the game.
With O’Day on third after a sacrifice bunt by Williams, the Cubs elected to intentionally walk Bryant and Thompson to load up the bases with one out for a chance at the double play.
The strategy was for naught as Sawyer had a very patient at bat and was also walked, bringing in the winning run.
For the Eagles, Quinn was 2-for-4, Shadoan had a triple, Williams, Thompson, Long and Logsdon all hit for doubles while Bryant and O’Day added singles.
O’Day picked up the win for Jacksonville.
Last Saturday the Eagles (9-2) once again faced Oxford with the same result as the Yellow Jackets handed the Eagles their second loss of the season, 13-1.
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