For openers...
Jasper opens defense of title with win over Lions
By GEORGIA PURDY Newsboy Correspondent

Newsboy photo/Georgia Purdy JASPER'S PARKER PHILLIPS tags out a Livingston runner at third base during the Bulldogs opening contest for the 2008 season. Jasper opened the season with an 11-6 victory over the Class 4A Lions. Jasper opens up District 21-3A play March 3 when the Dawgs host Orangefield in the district opener.

The Jasper Bulldog baseball team opened the season with an 11-6 victory over Livingston last week and three wins out of five games played in the Hudson tournament over the weekend.

"We didn't play very well in that first game against Livingston, but we still found a way to win," Head Coach Shawn Mixon said. "We had some big hits from Tyler Ernest, Taylor Hart and Malcolm Bronson."

Ernest had two hits; Hart had a double that drove in two runs, and Bronson hit a two-run home run.

Jasper put in three pitchers against Livingston: Justin Parsons threw five innings, followed by Marx Marcantel and Parker Phillips, an inning each.

At the Hudson tournament, Phillips was the winning pitcher as Jasper first put away Northeast Christian Academy 12-2.

Newsboy photo/Georgia Purdy JASPER'S MALCOLM BRONSON (1) beats the throw home and scores on a wild pitch during the Dawgs' 11-6 season-opening victory. Jasper's Justin Parson threw five innings to get the victory for the Bulldogs.

At bat, Hart and Bronson were three for three; John Bradley had two hits, and Aaron Stephenson hit a tworun homer.

The Bulldogs lost 5-1 to Vidor in nine innings.

"We had good pitching from Marx Marcantel and Cord Yeates in this game," Mixon said. "We were tied through eight innings and then they put together a big inning."

The next loss came at the hands of Diboll who went up 3-2.

"They played as well as they could," Mixon said. "We didn't play very well, and it was one of those games where we couldn't get anything going."

The Diboll loss wasn't taken lightly. In the next game, the 'Dogs shutout Livingston 15-0; and put up 10 runs in the first inning.

"We really hit the ball well," Mixon said. "Hart, Parsons and Bradley had two hits each."

Jasper defeated Silsbee in the final game 12-2.

"Cord Yeates and Marcantel pitched and both threw the ball well," he said. "For the most part, we pitched well in the tournament."

Yeates, Stephenson and Ernest had two hits each.

"We got to see a lot of people play last week," he said. "Everyone got a lot of playing time. We are still trying to figure out combinations- who goes where. It was a good tournament for us. We played good defense and our hitting looked good at times but was inconsistent. We had on a single error in the tournament."

Jasper was playing a strong Hudson team last night and will participate in the Woodville tournament over the weekend. The Bulldogs open district Monday, March 3, at home against Orangefield, another excellent team. The Orangefield game begins at 7 p.m.

Jasper will host a tournament March 6-8. Details are not available at this time.