Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Malakoff shortstop Mike Jones hammers a first-inning single to left field during the April 23 game against Mildred.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Malakoff right fielder Wyatt Wallace, hitting in the cleanup spot April 23 against Mildred, takes a big cut.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Malakoff pitcher Jaxson Jedlicka fires a fielded throw to first base, backed by third baseman Parker Poteete.

MALAKOFF–The Malakoff Tigers baseball team seized the District 18-3A championship from the previously unbeaten Mildred Eagles by winning the final two games of the regular season April 22 and 23.
The Tigers came into the waning days of district with one loss. Against Mildred, Malakoff won the April 22 away game, 10-2, handing the Eagles their first loss and setting up a winner-take-all district title game in Malakoff April 23.
There, the Tigers got hot quick and never looked back, run-ruling the Eagles in five innings, 10-0. Mildred got runners on first and second in the first inning but Malakoff pitcher Jaxson Jedlicka coaxed a third-out flyout to right fielder Wyatt Wallace to end that threat.
Next up in Malakoff’s half of the initial inning, Asa Mondragon started off with a single on the game’s second pitch, then on the third pitch, Jack Hustead also ripped a single. Not to be outdone, Mike Jones came to the plate and tapped a sharp single, the third one of the half-inning to left field. All of that action loaded the bases.
Soon, Jedlicka’s one-out single brought home Mondragon for Malakoff’s first run. Parker Poteete’s infield single drove in Hustead for a 2-0 Malakoff advantage. With the bases still loaded, Judson McNaughton was hit by a pitch, which scored Mike Jones from third (now 3-0, Tigers).
The Tigers added their fourth run in the second inning, when Jedlicka reached on an error, which allowed Mondragon (who had walked) to score. In the fourth, Malakoff tacked on four more runs, starting with Mike Jones’ solo home run over the left-field fence that increased the Tiger lead to 5-0. 
Also in the fourth, Poteete doubled home Wallace for run No. 6, Zain Jones singled home Poteete (7-0, Malakoff) and McNaughton dropped a seeing-eye single into shallow center field, scoring Zain Jones and allowing the Tigers to lead 8-0 entering the fifth.
In what turned out to be that final fifth frame, Malakoff’s bottom half-inning saw Wallace pick up an RBI single for the Tigers’ ninth run, then Mike Jones scored from third base on a wild pitch to seal the run-rule victory. 
Malakoff is scheduled to play Grandview in the Bi-District round of the playoffs. Games 1 and 2 are set for May 2-3, with Game 3 (if necessary) May 4, all at Duncanville High School.