Staff photo / Preston Byers. Jackson-Milton’s James Croyle gets ready to throw a pitch vs. Springfield during Monday’s game in North Jackson.

NORTH JACKSON — Mistakes plagued both teams, but Jackson-Milton successfully endured its own miscues to defeat Springfield 5-4 on a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning on Monday in North Jackson.

While Blue Jays coach Matt Ruby was complimentary of his team’s resilience, Tigers head coach Terry Dobson was blunt in his disappointment.

“We set baseball back 50 years,” Dobson said.

Dobson’s comment came after Springfield surrendered three consecutive runs and lost a game in which it led 4-2 in the fifth inning. Specifically, the Tigers allowed Jackson-Milton to score its second run of the game on a mental lapse at home plate, baserunning errors and a few too many risks taken in the outfield.

Following two scoreless innings, Springfield built its lead in the top of the third inning. Ben Catlos drove in the first run of the game on an RBI single before Alec Fusco brought home Catlos and Cooper Ensley scored Fusco to take a 3-0 edge.

While Jaidyn Henry cut into the lead shortly thereafter with a single that scored Dom Krol, who had doubled to get on base, mistakes on the basepaths, including being tagged out at home plate and at third base for the final out of the inning, allowed Springfield to stay ahead.

After Jack McDevitt’s RBI single in the fourth made it a one-run game, Fusco again drove home Catlos to give Springfield a 4-2 lead.

In response, Caden Ruby singled to begin the Jackson-Milton rally. Following a fielder’s choice, Jaiden Scott then singled before CJ Malutek drove in a pair of runs on a double to left field, tying the game at four runs apiece.

Springfield had two chances to regain the lead but was instead retired in order in the sixth inning and left two runners on base in the top of the seventh.

In the final half-inning, Henry drew a leadoff walk and then stole second, setting Caden Ruby up for a walk-off single to right-center field.

“The most important thing was that they recognized it – they knew they did wrong, and they moved on from it,” Matt Ruby said. “Like I said, that’s just the resiliency that these kids have because they could easily just said, ‘I just cost us the game,’ and shut down. But in the seventh, we get a guy on, get him over and get him in. Our main motto is, we know we’re gonna mess up. Baseball is a game where you mess up, but it’s all who can flush it the quickest.”

Dobson’s team could not overcome their mistakes, much to the chagrin of their veteran coach.

“It’s baseball 101,” Dobson said. “When you give a game away — I mean, you stand there and yell at the kids and do all kinds of stuff, but they got to learn the game, and they haven’t learned the game yet.”

Dobson said the “mental errors” should have already been addressed at this point in the season, and he attributed the mistakes to “bad coaching.”

Both teams will be back at it today in the second leg of a Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference (MVAC) back-to-back.

The Tigers (9-8, 8-4) will host the second game in as many days between the two teams in New Middletown. Jackson-Milton (9-8, 7-5) can earn its third season series sweep with a win after previously beating Lowellville and Campbell twice each.