Jones tossed a one-hitter with four strikeouts in five innings of work, and West Side shut down Lexington Eastern (Ky.) 7-0 in a Great Lakes Region opener on Saturday at the Little League Central Region Complex in Whitestown, Indiana.
“This feels great being a part of this team and being able to pitch for them,” Jones said. “The trust in me and having a good defense. My center fielder made what, three plays? For them to have my back, it just feels great.
“My curveball,” Jones added of what pitches were working for him. “My fastball was a little wild sometimes. My curveball was working really good. I couldn’t really hit my spots today, but my curveball was just great.”
West Side will face Michigan (Negaunee) at 4 p.m. on Sunday at the Little League Central Region Complex. That game will be televised on ESPN+.
“This was a great start,” West Side manager Ken Coomer said. “Now we’ve got to do our homework on Michigan and go from there. As a coach — when we’re up 7-0 and want more — you’re going to take a 7-0 win.”
West Side (7-0) was the home team on Saturday for the first time this entire postseason. But none of that mattered once the offense started rolling.
West Side scored two runs in the top of the first when Preston Baker’s chopper landed a few feet in front of the plate, allowing Jordan Malloy and TJ Madden to score after the putout at first and a throw home hit the backstop.
“You take advantage of every opportunity that you can get,” Coomer said. “The situation was that it wasn’t just that Baker didn’t know if it was fair or foul, it was our kids being aggressive on the base paths. Jordan did a great job and saw that the catcher was halfway down the line, and he put pressure on the throw to come home. Then TJ was hustling around, too.”
Eastern committed three total errors, and West Side scored at least one run on all three of those mistakes.
“The fact is that we put pressure on them with our baserunning, it’s our philosophy,” Coomer said. “So far, it’s been working. Our baserunning and our speed are at their top.”
Jonathan Lineback and Teegan Lay walked to start the bottom of the second, and Gavyn Spears hit a two-RBI double to give West Side a 4-0 lead. West Side grabbed two more runs to make it 6-0.
Jones said the lead made him feel comfortable on the mound.
“When the team is hitting — I couldn’t hit today — but it’s OK,” Jones said. “I just pitched out there. The other team had three errors. We’ve just got to put the ball in play, and we do good things.”
Coomer said Jones was hit with a setback regarding his arm about two months ago and has been working his way back into the rotation. Jones didn’t pitch in districts, but he did see some mound time during the state tournament.
“We have a great defense when Cash pitches well, too,” Coomer said. “He was Cash.”
West Side added an insurance run in the bottom of the third on Madden’s double off the center field wall that scored Malloy.
Jones stayed in the zone through the fifth inning, and Baker came in for relief to finish it off in the top of the sixth. Malloy and Treadway turned a pair of double plays — including one to end the game.
Spears (1-for-2, run, RBI), Lineback (1-for-1, run, walk), Madden (1-for-1, double, RBI, walk), Malloy (walk, two runs), Baker (RBI, walk) and Lennox Brown (run, walk) led West Side offensively.
“I feel like we have a big chance now that we got our first win,” Baker said before noting what has been West Side’s driving force. “It’s practice. Hard work and practice.”
Great Lakes Region schedule
Saturday, Aug. 2 — West Side 7, Kentucky 0
Saturday, Aug. 2 — Illinois vs. Indiana, 7 p.m. on ESPN+
Sunday, Aug. 3 — Michigan vs. Kentucky/Ohio winner, 4 p.m. on ESPN+
Sunday, Aug. 3 — Kentucky/Ohio loser vs. Illinois/Indiana loser, 7 p.m. on ESPN+
Monday, Aug. 4 — Elimination bracket game, 1 p.m. on ESPN+
Monday, Aug. 4 — Semifinals, 7 p.m. on ESPN
Tuesday, Aug. 5 — Semifinals, 1 p.m. on ESPN
Wednesday, Aug. 6 — Great Lakes championship game, 7 p.m. on ESPN
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