High Desert trio among top prospect performers Monday

Double-A Jackson kicked off the Southern League Finals with a win on Monday, and as has been the case all year, it was Tyler O’Neill who delivered the clutch hit.

O’Neill, the Mariners’ No. 2 prospect, broke a 3-3 tie when he connected on a two-run double with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, as Jackson went on to defeat Mississippi, 6-4. He finished 2-for-5, which actually lowered his postseason average to .450. He’s accrued eight RBIs, thanks in part to three home runs, in five playoff games.

Ranked No. 63 on the Top 100, O’Neill, 21, was named Southern League MVP in 2016 after he batted .293/.374/.508 and ranked among the top two on the circuit with 24 home runs (second), 102 RBIs (first) and 250 total bases (first).

Pacing the Generals on the mound was right-hander Andrew Moore (Mariners’ No. 10), who yielded two earned runs on six hits with two strikeouts over six innings. He demonstrated his usual outstanding command by throwing 60 of his 90 pitches for strikes without issuing a walk. All together, the 22-year-old has allowed two earned runs in 15 innings across two postseason starts.

The rest of the best performances from top prospects Monday

• Three infield errors spoiled a strong performance by No. 96 overall prospect Mike Soroka and cost Class A Rome Game 1 of the South Atlantic League finals. The Braves’ No. 6 prospect allowed four unearned runs on six hits with six strikeouts in seven innings, and threw 66 of his 90 pitches for strikes. He also recorded 16 ground-ball outs (including the errors), though it wasn’t enough to keep Rome falling to …

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