ALEXANDRIA – Oxford did the little things Friday night.
The Yellow Jackets won their doubleheader against Alexandria by holding onto a tight lead to win the first game 3-2 and adding two runs late to win the second contest 4-2.
“We did a lot of small ball in game two and used our team speed. That was the game plan going in,” Oxford coach Wes Brooks said. “We told them we were going to be aggressive, bunt and run, steal, and hit and run. That gets kids excited.”
This was a rematch of last week's Calhoun County tournament final, which Oxford won.
In Friday's opening game, the Yellow Jackets scored in the first, second and fourth innings and held off a comeback by Alexandria behind the pitching of Dillen Miller. He earned the win, throwing five innings and allowing five hits and one run. Jake Cook shut the door over the final two innings, allowing three hits and striking out two, to earn the save.
Alexandria had a chance to tie the game in the seventh inning when pinch-runner Alex Campbell was waved home from first on a double to left field by Dakota Kelley. Oxford put together a perfect relay to get Campbell at the plate.
“I’d do it again, too,” Valley Cubs coach Andy Shaw said. “I wanted to make them make the perfect throw, and they did.”
The Yellow Jackets’ aggressive base running fully came to life in the first inning of the second game when Chance Adams reached first on a dropped third-strike call and later scored on an error. Dakota Beane singled and scored later on an error.
Alexandria battled back, though, mostly from the bat of Dalton Cobb. He opened the bottom of the first with a home run. In the third, he doubled and scored to tie the game 2-2 on a single by Cody Dodd.
Oxford regained the lead 3-2 when Jacob Sears scored in the fifth. The Yellow Jackets added an insurance run in the seventh when Sears scored again.
“We answered back and finished. That was big,” Brooks said. “I knew we had to pitch to Cobb in the seventh, and I was thinking if we were up by one, then we’d just walk him, but being up two we pitched to him.”
Trey Hopper picked up the win in the second game. He allowed six hits and two earned runs in five innings. He struck out four.
Beane and Austin Bolander each had three hits for Oxford. Chance Adams had two. For Alexandria, Cobb finished the night with four hits, a run and an RBI. Kelley also had four hits in the doubleheader. Dodd and Ethan Curvin each had two hits.
Both coaches said Friday night’s doubleheader provided their teams help moving into next week’s area play.
Shaw said it can’t hurt Alexandria playing teams like Oxford, adding the Valley Cubs need to do the little things better before next week’s games against Hokes Bluff.
Brooks was happy his majority left-handed lineup was able to see two left-handed pitchers before facing Clay-Chalkville next week.
“They have two left-handed pitchers and tonight Alexandria threw two left-handed pitchers,” Brooks said. “We didn’t do great, but at least when we face (Clay-Chalkville) next week we will have seen some left-handed pitchers.”