SEHS Baseball Crushes Chilton County in 1st Round of Class 6A Playoffs

By Scott Nickerson

Elmore/Autauga News

The Stanhope Elmore High School Mustangs baseball team proved during the regular season that they were a very good baseball team, with possibly the best pitching staff in the state. They finished with a 23-5 record, and were crowned area champions after demolishing area rival Wetumpka and easily defeating Lanier.

The Mustangs hosted the Chilton County Tigers in the 1st Round of the Class 6A Playoffs in a best 2 out of 3 series. Stanhope Elmore crushed the Tigers in both games Friday night, winning both games by a score of 13-0.

In Game 1, Colin Woodham pitched a gem for the Mustangs, allowing no runs and only 1 hit over 5 innings while striking out 9 batters. Stanhope Elmore used an 8-run 3rd inning to blow open the game. Senior Colton Walls had two hits in the inning and three RBIs. The Tigers’ pitching staff gave up two walks and hit Mustang batters three different times in the 3rd.

Leading 9-0 in the bottom of the 4th inning, the Mustangs started with three consecutive base hits that propelled Stanhope Elmore to score another four runs. Woodham struck out the side in the top of the 5th, and the Mustangs won Game 1 by the mercy rule, 13-0.

Game 2 was more of the same. After the 3rd inning, the Mustangs lead was only 1-0, but Stanhope Elmore bats finally got hot. Starting pitcher Evan Duncan got things going at the plate with a triple, and scored moments later on a Woodham base hit. The Mustangs added five runs total in the 4th.

The Mustangs took a 6-0 lead into the final inning, but removed any doubt at all about the outcome by scoring 7 runs to build a 13-0 lead. The Chilton County pitching staff again struggled. After Walls started the inning with a double, five consecutive Mustang batters got on base with either a walk or getting hit by a pitch. UAB commit Chase Williams also had a double with 2 RBIs.

Three Mustangs pitchers combined for the shutout, giving up only four hits and striking out 9 batters.

With the dominating wins, the Mustangs move one step closer to their goal of a state championship, which would be only the second in school history. Stanhope Elmore will take the field in Round 2 of the Class 6A Playoffs next week, with Game 1 scheduled for April 27.