Staff photo / Brian Yauger McDonald pitcher Belle O’Brien fires a pitch during their league contest against Jackson-Milton on Wednesday.

NORTH JACKSON — With heavy league implications on the line, McDonald needed a win to get into the driver’s seat for a league title.

The Blue Devils set the tone early, getting a run on board in the first, establishing a lead that they wouldn’t concede, taking down Jackson-Milton, 4-0 on Wednesday.

“This was a big one for us,” Blue Devils coach Michelle Titus said. “We needed to win this to win out, and we have to win out to get the MVAC title solely. Jackson-Milton, they’re a pretty tough team to get through. We still have them on Monday again, also.”

With a one-run advantage early, it turned into a pitchers duel between McDonald’s Belle O’Brien and Jackson-Milton’s Macayle Thornhill.

The only added runs to the board came from a single by Lauren O’Leary in the fourth inning. The Blue Devils have speedy baserunners and O’Leary was able to knock in a trio.

“When Lauren hit that ball to the outfield, we had three girls on,” Titus said. “Our girls that are on base at that time, they are all super fast. They know when that ball goes to the outfield and it’s down, they’re scoring from first base and they did. That was really big for us.”

Following those runs, McDonald locked down defensively. During the fifth, third baseman Aubrey Evans made a pair of smart reads to stifle the Blue Jays’ bunt attempts, catching one out of midair.

“We practice that a lot because people have a really hard time pulling the ball down that third base line on Belle’s speed and movement,” Titus said. “Third basemen are always a little nervous for those shots down the line, and I tell them the odds of you getting a shot down that line aren’t very good, but you will get those bunts down there. We practice that all the time with tossing the ball and doing those bunts, so she knows it, she expects it, she knows to get everything and scoop them up. She’s a freshman and she did a great job.”

The Blue Jays fell to 9-4 on the season.

Despite the loss, first-year coach Tyler Halavick is optimistic. With not only a rematch on May 6, but a potential tournament meetup, he thinks his girls are ready for that test.

“I think we learned a lot more about them than they learned about us,” Halavick said. “I think that’s our advantage because we have districts, so we’ll be ready. We’ve got to be prepared. (O’Brien) is just a good pitcher. That’s what it is. I think we’ve just got to hit the ball better, execute our bunts better, and just play softball.”

Even with their backs against the wall, the Blue Jays were energized. A full count, down four, in the bottom of the seventh, and the dugout was buzzing as if they were up by 12.

That energy is infectious and a big part of why Jackson-Milton has found success this season.

“That’s just part of our culture,” Halavick said. “I always want (that) to be part of the game at every pitch, every inning, and that’s one thing that made me proud today, because any other team that I’ve ever seen down 4-0 in the bottom of the seventh is probably sitting the bench and being quiet. I’m really, really happy that we weren’t.”

The Blue Devils (11-2) take on Springfield today at 5 p.m.

With the postseason looming, and a potential third matchup with Jackson-Milton there as well, Titus stressed the importance of doing what they do best.

“We may have them for a third time in three weeks. We just have to play our game,” Titus said. “These girls are hitting the ball. They can hit one through nine.”

Have an interesting story? Contact Brian Yauger by email at byauger@tribtoday.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @_brianyauger.