PLANTERSVILLE – It was a major risk, but one Billy Jackson had to take.

The Dallas County High School baseball coach gambled that Maplesville right fielder Nick Andrews couldn’t throw out Shane Moreland trying to score from second base on a single.

“He’s got to field the ball perfectly,” Jackson said. “He had already bobbled one earlier. I took the chance and he made the play.”

Andrews fielded Chase Knight’s single to right field, then fired a strike to catcher Josh Smith, who tagged out Moreland, who was trying to score the game-tying run from second base, to preserve the Red Devils’ 7-6, nine-inning victory over Dallas County on Tuesday.

Andrews’ throw completed a rally that saw Maplesville battle back from deficits of 3-1 and 5-4.

The Red Devils improved to 2-3 on the season, while Dallas County fell to 1-3-1.

The victory was especially sweet for Maplesville assistant coach Tommy Hedley, a former assistant coach at Dallas County. The Red Devils gave Hedley the game ball during the team meeting in the dugout after the game.

“This was a great game,” Maplesville coach Mike Blair said. “Dallas County has a pretty good club over there.

“Coach Jackson is a

Hunter Brown worked all nine innings to earn the mound win for the Red Devils. Brown had given up the go-ahead runs in the sixth inning that put the Hornets in the lead, 5-4.

But Maplesville rallied to tie the game in the top of the seventh on a double by Jeremy White and an RBI single from Brown.

Maplesville struck the deciding blow in the ninth when Brett Arnold crushed a two-out, two-run home run that put the Red Devils ahead for good.

Arnold’s shot came on a 2-0 delivery from pitcher Matthew Ross, who had relieved starter Cody with one out in the seventh. The blast cleared the left-centerfield wall, over the head of Hornets’ centerfielder James Bennett, scoring Kenny Lenoir, who had reached on an error to open the inning.

“I was thinking that the team would really benefit if I got a home run,” Arnold said. “It was a meat pitch, right down the middle.”

The Hornets rallied in the top of the ninth. Massey led off the frame with a double that eluded a diving Nick Andrews in right field. After Randal Greene was hit by a pitch, Roman Paxton lined a shot to second baseman Stewart Little, who then tagged Greene to complete the double play.

Moreland followed with a solid single to center that plated Teravious Mitchell, who pinch ran for Massey, and cut the margin to a run. Tyler Hollis followed with a single to center that sent Moreland to second. Knight then lined a 1-1 pitch off Brown into right field, sending Moreland to the plate. Moreland slid, but was unable to beat Andrews’ throw on a close plate at the dish.

The loss was exceptionally bitter for Jackson.

“I hate losing to Maplesville,” the Hornets’ first-year skipper said. “I would rather eat dirt.”

Maplesville took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Andrews reached on a fielder’s choice with two outs and scored on an infield error.

Dallas County knotted the score in the bottom of the second when Ross reached on an infield single and eventually scored on Greene’s infield groundout.

Dallas County went on top in the fourth on Massey’s two-run single to score Bennett, who walked, and Josh Paxton, who reached on an error.

Maplesville countered with three runs in the sixth. With one out, Brown singled and went to second on a walk to Arnold. Josh Wallace then lined a single to left field. Greene fired a wild throw to third base in an attempt to nab Brown. Instead, the errant throw got away, allowing Brown and Arnold to score. Smith then singled to left field to score Wallace and put the Red Devils ahead, 4-3.

The Hornets regained the lead in the sixth on an infield throwing error, an RBI groundout by Massey and RBI single from Greene.