WEST JEFFERSON-- If it's Friday night, expect Tyler Jackson on the hill for Starmount's baseball team. And so far this season, expect a Starmount win.

The junior left-hander improved to 6-0 this past Friday, pitching a two-hitter to lift the Rams to a 7-2 road victory at Ashe County.

The win keeps Starmount (9-8, 6-3 MVAC) in the conference championship conversation. Wilkes Central (8-1) remains in the driver's seat, but the Rams still have a shot at catching the Eagles.

Jackson has been a big reason why. Ashe scored single runs in the third and seventh innings but mounted little offense aside from that.

The Rams' big inning offensively came with five runs in the fourth. Justin Snow scored twice on the night and earned three hits. Chris Cowles added another hit and, anRBIand a run.

Starmount piled up 11 hits in all. Brandon Miller, who beat the Rams back in March, absorbed the loss this time around. Ethan Wyatt did have a home run for the Huskies, a solo shot that ended up too little too late against Jackson.