Fox Box: Baseball, softball starts; J’ville tennis nets trio of 1st place finishes

Two Cherokee County softball teams faced off for the first non-conference game of the season.

Jacksonville

Maidens

Jacksonville hosted Rusk on Tuesday, Feb. 12, losing to the Eagles, 3-0.

The first three innings of the game were scoreless with the first run for Rusk crossing the plate in the fourth quarter. The Eagles scored a single run in each of the two consecutive innings for the 3-0 victory, shutting out the Maidens.

The Maidens participated in the Brook Hill tournament Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 14-16. Jacksonville left the tournament with five victories and a tie. Jacksonville defeated Eustace, 16-0; Frankston, 6-0; Sabine, 3-0; Bullard, 7-6; and Dangerfield, 18-0. The ladies tied with Hughes Springs at seven all.

The Maidens defeated the Van Vandals Monday, Feb. 18, by a score of 10-5.

During the Whitehouse tournament Jacksonville once again faced the Rusk Eagles, but this time with a different outcome.

The Maidens felled the Eagles, 5-1. Following two scoreless innings, Jacksonville plated four runs in the third inning while preventing the Eagles from crossing home. Both teams scored a single run in the fourth inning, resulting in the 5-1 Maiden victory.

The Jacksonville Maidens were scheduled to host Mt. Pleasant Tuesday, Feb. 26. The Maidens will open league play Tuesday, March 5, when they host the Nacogdoches Dragons.

Indians

The Jacksonville Indians varsity baseball team will participate in the Grand Saline tournament Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 28-March 1. The junior varsity will play in the Athens tournament on the same dates.

Rusk

Lady Eagles

The Rusk Lady Eagles’ participation in the Tournament of Champions-Carrollton resulted in a 5-1-1 record for the event.

The Lady Eagles defeated Lovejoy, 3-0; Garland, 7-2; Sunset, 2-0; Poteet, 7-1; and Celina, 4-1. The one loss came at the hands of the Allen Eagles, 7-1. The single tie game was against the Berkner Rams, 5-5.

The Lady Eagles were to host Center Tuesday, Feb. 26 and are slated to participate in the Hallsville tournament Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 28-March 2.

Eagles

The Rusk Eagles were to host Hudson Tuesday, Feb. 26, and will travel to Nacogdoches for a tournament Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 28-March 2.

Alto

Lady ’Jackets

The Alto Lady ’Jackets were slated to begin district matches by hosting the Mt. Enterprise Wildcats Tuesday, Feb. 26, and the Douglass Indians on Tuesday, March 5

Yellowjackets

The Alto Yellowjackets varsity team is set to host the Alto Classic Baseball Tournament Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 28-March 2.

New Summerfield

Lady Hornets

The New Summerfield Lady Hornets were to travel to Cushing Tuesday, Feb. 26 and to LaPoynor Thursday, Feb. 28.

The game is to begin at 5:30 p.m. District play will open Tuesday, March 5, when the Lady Hornets visit Overton. Game is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.

Hornets

The Hornets were to host Slocum Tuesday, Feb. 26. New Summerfield will host an invitational Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 28-March 2.
Games are also scheduled for Monday, March 4, with the junior varsity team playing Robert E Lee at Mike Carter Field beginning at 6 p.m. and on Tuesday, March 5 against Leveretts Chapel with games beginning at 4 p.m.

Troup

Lady Tigers

The Troup Lady Tigers were to host Alba-Golden Tuesday, Feb. 26. The team will take part in the Frankston Tournament Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 28-March 2.

District play will begin Tuesday, March 5, when the Lady Tigers will be on the road, taking on the rival Arp Tigers at 5 and 6:30 p.m.

Tigers

The Troup Tigers will also participate in the Frankston tournament Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 26-March 2. The Tigers will open league play when they travel to rival Arp Tuesday, March 5. Games are scheduled against the Arp Tigers at 4:30 and 7 p.m.

Bullard

Lady Panthers

The Bullard softball team participated in the Rains tournament Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 21-23, resulting in 3-2 record for the series.

The wins came against Hughes Spring, 5-4; Van, 3-0 and Troup, 10-1. The losses resulted from competition with North Lamar, 3-2 and Harmony, 5-3.

The team was to host Mineola Tuesday, Feb. 26 and will participate in the Hallsville tournament Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 28-March 2.

Panthers

The Bullard Panthers took part in the tournament at Whitehouse Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 21-23.

The team defeated Huntington, 3-2, and Longview, 6-2.

The team is scheduled to play in the Lindale tournament Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 28-March 2.

Tennis

The Jacksonville Indians and Maidens varsity players participated in the John Tyler tournament Friday, Feb. 22, resulting in three first-place finishes.

The top earners included Haley George in girls singles, Autumn Terrell and Abby Mathis in girls doubles, and Bianka Cornejo and Carlos Camacho in mixed doubles.

George defeated John Tyler teams, 6-1 and 6-1, before moving into the semifinals where she beat Lufkin, 8-0. The victory over Whitehouse was won, 1-0, due to the game being called early because of rain.

Terrell and Mathis defeated Athens, 6-3, and Sulphur Springs, 6-0 before advancing to the finals against Lufkin where they triumphed, 6-0.

Cornejo and Camacho netted a 6-3 win over Sulphur Springs, defeated Lukin in the semi-finals, 8-2, and beat West Brook, 8-4, in the finals.

Other competitors from Jacksonville included Saul Martinez (6-3, 2-6, 6-2) and Bryan Gluck (7-6, 0-6, 1-6) in boys singles; Thomas Brewer and Alex Hassell (6-0, 4-6, 8-1) and Juan Guerrero and Eduardo Rodriquez (5-7, 6-0) in boys doubles; as well as the team of Alejandra Hernandez and Kaitlin Gonzalez (6-1, 3-6) in the girls doubles. Hernandez and Gonzalez were slated to play for third place, but the match was cancelled due to rain.

The varsity team is slated to participate in the Corsicana Tournament Friday, March 1.

The junior varsity tennis teams were to host a tournament Tuesday, Feb. 26. They blue team will play in the Spring Hill tournament in Longview Tuesday, March 5.