The only thing hotter than the brutal July sun Sunday afternoon was the Jackson 96ers. The 96ers took advantage of some early errors and crushed the ball at the plate en route to an 18-3 win over the Vicksburg BlueJays to take home the under-12 Governor’s Cup championship.

Jackson may have showcased its dominance in the victory, but the Vicksburg squad didn’t hang their head after slicing through their bracket to the title game Sunday afternoon.  The BlueJays got the best of Team Fuzzy, also from Vicksburg, 5-3 in the semifinal matchup to reach the championship.

“We did really well. It was a good ending to our season. I’m proud of the way we finished,” head coach Eric Douglas said. “We got runner up at the World Series and (came) out here and played well. Two good days of baseball.”

Douglas gave credit to the 96ers’ performance, as the team combined superb pitching and powerful hitting to clinch first place in the tournament.

“That’s a really good ball club. We came out here and made a few little mistakes, and when you do that with a good team, that’s what’s going to happen,” he said. “But they played well and I’m proud of them.”

The BlueJays were forced to win two games earlier in the day to advance to the finals, and Douglas commended his team for fighting through elements to make an appearance in the championship.
“Every day they come out there and give their hardest. I’m just happy at how they’ve done and what they’ve shown to me in how good they can get in one season,” Douglas said.