Jackson Post 158 downs Ballwin to advance to winner's bracket final at Zone 4 tourney

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- The biggest concern for Jackson Post 158 Senior Legion coach Mark Lewis following his team's game Thursday night was what would happen to the cupcakes being distributed to celebrate left fielder Ben Maudie's 18th birthday.

Lewis told his players the cupcakes were to be eaten.

"No one's wearing them," he warned as a few people surrounding the huddle laughed.

It was the perfect night for a party after Post 158 run-ruled Ballwin Post 611 and won 18-4 in seven innings to advance to tonight's Zone 4 tournament winner's bracket final at Wilson Rozier Park.

"It's everything," Jackson right fielder Landon Mills said while nibbling on his cupcake. "Being in the winner's bracket, you'll play early and that way you can get to bed early. If you're in the loser's bracket, it kind of sets you up to lose. If you're here until 1 o'clock in the morning, you're not going to want to play later the next night. It just kind of helps."

Mills got the scoring started with a two-out RBI double in the top of the first inning that was followed by three more RBI hits over the next four batters to give Jackson starter Gavon Turner a 4-0 lead when he took the mound for the first time.

Turner insisted he didn't have his best stuff outside of his curveball -- he called his fastball a "struggle" and said his changeup "wasn't all there" -- but he threw six innings for Post 158, allowing three earned runs on eight hits.

Jackson Post 158's Ryan Harvey scores on a wild pitch against Ballwin Post 611 during the second inning of the Zone 4 Senior American Legion tournament Thursday, July 23, 2015 in Farmington, Missouri. (Fred Lynch)

"Anytime that you're a pitcher and your lineup bats through the lineup one time and gets four or five runs, it obviously gives you some confidence," Lewis said. "It's still easy to lose your focus and think, 'Well, this game is over.' He didn't. He came out and pitched well."

After a hit-by-pitch and a single to start the game, Turner induced a double play on his way to retiring nine of the next 10 he faced.

"He did a great job," Jackson catcher Tristen Burdette said. "We emphasized just getting ahead. If we throw a first-pitch curveball, just get ahead with it because most batters will take it. If you get ahead with a first-pitch strike, you seal the at-bat away. You can get them every time just about."

Jackson batted around for the second time in the second inning, adding six runs despite recording just one hit thanks to three walks, two hit-batsmen and two errors by Ballwin.

"I thought we swung the bats well," said Lewis, who credited working at-bats and counts for the early offensive outburst. "We got some traffic on early and got some runs early. That was probably the key thing."

After two scoreless innings, Jackson added five more runs in the top of the fifth. Mills drove home the second of his three runs on the night, Maudie singled home a run and Burdette provided the game's biggest highlight with a three-run homer.

"It was a 3-1 count," Burdette said. "He was working slow, so I knew to just stay back, and I knew a fastball was coming. I just stayed on it and drove it to center field, and it went over."

Jackson Post 158 starter Gavon Turner delivers to a Ballwin Post 611 batter during the first inning of the Zone 4 Senior American Legion tournament Thursday, July 23, 2015 in Farmington, Missouri. (Fred Lynch)

Jackson committed just one error, which came well after it'd built a big lead, compared to seven for Ballwin.

"Anytime you can get into tournament ball and you don't beat yourself, it's big," Lewis said. "With high school-aged kids, momentum is such a big thing."

Jackson will face Manchester at 5 p.m. today. Manchester, which had a bye to open the tournament, defeated host Farmington 12-4 Wednesday night. The winner will advance to Saturday's championship, where it will have to be beaten twice by the team that emerges from the loser's bracket. The tournament champion will advance to the state tournament.

Lewis dismissed the idea that polishing off Ballwin in seven innings in what was supposed to be a nine-inning game provided any benefit.

"Not to me," Lewis said. "We don't get to take any of those runs with us tomorrow. It's a totally different game. Our focus has got to be on that ballgame only."

Jackson Post 158 460 052 1 -- 18 12 1

Ballwin Post 611 000 031 0 -- 4 8 7

WP -- Gavon Turner. LP -- Brad Malski. HR -- Tristen Burdette (J). 3B -- Ryan Harvey (J), Zack Ruckman (B). 2B -- Landon Mills 2 (J), Cameron Duke (J), Ben Maudie (J), Jono Lazaroff (B). Multiple hits -- Jackson: Jon Schumer 2-4, Mills 2-4, Duke 2-5, Maudie 2-4; Ballwin: Ruckman 2-2, Charlie Kreh 2-4.