Jacksonville Sends Hernando Home

The Hernando Majors (ages 15-19) finally found a deficit they could not come back from, losing to Jacksonville 3-0 Tuesday night to finish the State Tournament at Chipley High at 2-2.

After dropping Saturday's opener against Marion County in eight innings, 9-8, Hernando twice rallied after falling behind 5-0 in consecutive elimination games.

Those comebacks allowed Hernando to survive until the meeting with Jacksonville, the only undefeated team remaining in the double-elimination tournament.

A win would have at least put Hernando in a three-team mix for the championship on Wednesday, but once again the opposing team struck quickly.

Jacksonville plated three runs in the first inning before Hernando ace right-hander Kyle Neal settled down and held the North Florida club scoreless the rest of the way.

However, this time Hernando couldn't find a way to climb back in. Jacksonville held Hernando to just three hits, a first-inning double by Tom Dwyer and back-to-back singles in the sixth by Kai Huff and Andrew McNeal.

"We had opportunities to score, we just didn't get any key hits," Hernando Head Coach Donnie Whitehead said.

"...It was a combination. He (the Jacksonville pitcher) did a good job of keeping us off-balance, he changed speeds, threw strikes. But we were a little bit off-balance. Putting three on us early set the tempo and we were playing catch-up."

Jacksonville went on to defeat Marion County in Wednesday's title game, 11-6.

Despite the loss, the now former head coach at Hernando High felt good about the efforts of his club, comprised almost completely from Hernando, Nature Coast and Springstead High graduates.

"Not bad," Whitehead said. "We faced real good competition. We took a heartbreaking loss to Marion County. When you've got losses to play with, it makes your decisions a little different.

"It was a great experience. The kids enjoyed it. All I asked was to be involved on Tuesday with a day left and have a chance. We got to Tuesday, I had my number one (pitcher) ready and we had a rough first inning."

DIXIE YOUTH LEAGUE PRE-MAJORS
BASEBALL STATE TOURNAMENT RECAP
at Chipley High School

07-12:
Chipley 12, Wahneta 1 (5 inn.)
Marion County 9, Hernando 8 (8 inn.)
Jacksonville 11, Polk County 4

07-13:
Hernando 17, Wahneta 5 (5 inn.)
Marion 5, Chipley 4

07-14:
Hernando 6, Polk 5
Jacksonville 5, Marion 4 (9 inn.)

07-15:
Marion 13, Chipley 10
Jacksonville 3, Hernando 0

07-16: (Championship)
Jacksonville 11, Marion 6