Sax settles in, leads Jones past U-High

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Matthew Sax was nervous to start but he quickly found his groove.

After surrendering two first-inning walks, the Jones sophomore settled down and pitched a no-hitter for 4 2/3 innings.

The Eagles’ Daniel Corral and James Owen-Leary drove in two runs apiece as Jones defended its Class 3A sectional title by knocking out U-High 9-2 Saturday at Brooks.

Jones advances to play Joliet Catholic in the 3A supersectional at Crestwood Monday. Joliet Catholic beat the Eagles 5-1 in last year’s 3A supersectional.

“I was just getting loosened up at the start,” Sax said. “I just wanted to go out and have fun. Fortunately, my teammates gave me the run support and that gave me more confidence.”

Sax (7-1) did not allow a ball out of the infield until the fifth inning. He stuck out three, walked four and allowed just four hits in 6 1/3 innings. U-High’s Alexx Zimmer ended the no-hitter with a triple in the fifth inning.

Leading 1-0, Jones (26-6) pushed across three runs in its part of the third by stringing together three singles and a walk. Corral’s RBI single and Owen-Leary’s sacrifice fly keyed the offensive burst.

Jones pounded out nine hits and its defense was outstanding, turning one double play and not committing a single error.

U-High (12-6) mounted its biggest challenge in the top of the sixth. The Maroons narrowed the deficit to 6-2 on run-scoring singles by Mike Casey and Max Wagner. With two on and one out, Sax coaxed a fielder’s choice and a strikeout to end the threat.

Jones scored three insurance runs in its half of the sixth to put the game away.