132nd Article at the Independent

AMATEUR BASEBALL: Hadley edges Jackson

JACKSON — After both the Hadley Buttermakers and Jackson Bulls amateur baseball teams swept their first round best-of-three series in the Region 13C playoffs, the two teams met in the next round. This is the second consecutive year that the two teams have faced each other in the playoffs, with last year ending with the Buttermakers winning the series in three games. Hadley earned the higher seed despite losing twice to Jackson in both of the games in the regular season. Game 1 was postponed for a day and the series got underway in Jackson on Thursday evening.

The Bulls got out to an early lead scoring the first run of the game from outfielder Shad Wacker getting an RBI double. The Buttermakers would respond in the top of the third inning by scoring four runs and taking the lead 4-1 heading into the bottom of the frame. The Buttermakers would add another run extending it to 5-1 but the Bulls would make it interesting late.

Jackson would score three runs in the bottom of the eighth trimming the deficit to one heading into the ninth. The Buttermakers weren’t able to score in their top half leaving an opportunity for the Bulls to win their third consecutive game over the Buttermakers this season. However, it was Hadley that was able to hold on and get the three outs needed to win Game 1, 5-4.

Hadley will have the opportunity to close out the series at home or Jackson will prevent elimination in a matinee game on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. If the Bulls were to win Game 2, the deciding Game 3 would also be played in Hadley the following day on Sunday at 2 p.m.