The Jackson Lions defeated the Dirt Devils 6-1 on opening night of Amador County Little League East at John Ime Field at Dieter Park in Jackson, extending an early-season lead with timely hitting and steady pitching.

The win began with an early rally: the Lions scored two runs in the first inning and added two more in the third to build a 4-0 advantage. The Dirt Devils answered with a run in the fourth, but the Lions pushed across two additional runs later in the game to reach the final 6-1 margin. Broadcasters Joey Gidi (play-by-play announcer) and Steve Nash (color analyst) described the game as a well-pitched, quickly-played contest with several standout defensive plays and a handful of miscues that produced runs for the Lions.

Why it matters: opening-day results set the tone for the Little League season and draw local attention to youth sports, volunteers and sponsors that support Amador County programs.

Game details and turning points:
- First inning: The Lions produced an early two-run rally. Jax White’s line-drive to center helped spark the offense; the Lions left the Devils with runners in scoring position but converted enough opportunities to score two.
- Third inning: The Lions added two more runs to extend the lead to 4-0. A misplayed throw by the Dirt Devils on an infield play allowed extra bases and produced runs, according to the game broadcast.
- Fourth inning: The Dirt Devils scored to get on the board, trimming the deficit to 4-1.
- Fifth inning: The Lions added insurance runs; Jax White had a key base hit in the sequence that led to additional scoring, and the Lions ultimately led 6-1.
- Defense and pitching: Jackson’s staff (starting with Jace Denari and later Milos Maggi) worked efficiently, recording multiple strikeouts and keeping the Dirt Devils from stringing together rallies. Denari generated several multi-pitch at-bats and was credited by the broadcasters with effective command early in the game. The Dirt Devils’ starter (Chuck Wellman’s team) also mixed off-speed pitches and worked quickly but was charged with runs after a throwing miscue into the right-field corner.

Postgame honors and logistics: The broadcast named Jason Neri the William Peterson Financial Planning player of the game (starting pitcher for the Lions) and chose Jax White’s hit up the middle as the “Clutch Play of the Game.” The ceremonial first pitch was thrown by Owen Varwig. The broadcast thanked local sponsors including Ramco, the Amador Community Foundation and the Amador County Chamber of Commerce.

Context and next steps: The game was the Amador County Little League East opening-night matchup; Amador West had a separate opening-day schedule the following day at Howard Park in Ione. Both clubs are beginning regular-season play; Little League season rules such as continuous batting and pitch-count limits were discussed on-air by the broadcasters and umpires during the broadcast.