By Scott Nickerson
Elmore/Autauga News
The Stanhope Elmore High School baseball team beat Hueytown 5-0 in Game 1 and 2-0 in Game 2 to sweep the visiting Golden Gophers in the 2nd Round of the Class 6A Playoffs.
In Game 1, starting pitcher Colin Woodham pitched a complete game shutout, allowing only four hits with five strikeouts. The Mustangs got on the board early in the bottom of the 1st inning when Evan Duncan hit a 2-run home run.
The Mustangs added to the lead in the 5th inning when Colton Walls hit an RBI double. In the 6th inning, Ethan Walls brought home a run with a triple and Tevin Landrum had an RBI with a single.
Hueytown was unable to get a runner on base in their last at-bat, with Woodham striking out the last batter to end the game and clinch the Game 1 victory.
With their season on the line in Game 2, Hueytown pitcher John Michael Pickens struck out 13 Mustang batters and pitched a complete game. It wasn’t enough, as the Mustangs plated two runs in their portion of the 3rd. Pickens walked the first Mustang batter that later scored on an error. The Mustangs got their second run of the inning when Chase Williams doubled on a line drive to center field.
Evan Duncan started game 2 for the Mustangs, pitching five scoreless innings and only allowing two hits and striking out five batters.
Through two rounds of the Class 6A Playoffs, and four games, the Mustangs have yet to allow the opposing team to even score. Stanhope Elmore shut out Chilton County 13-0 in Game 1 and 13-0 in Game 2 of the 1st Round, and the Mustangs shutout Hueytown 5-0 in Game 1 and 2-0 in Game 2 of the 2nd Round.
Stanhope Elmore will go on the road in the 3rd Round of the Class 6A playoffs to take on Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, where they will face the Patriots in the Quarterfinals for the 2nd consecutive year. The Patriots defeated the Mustangs last year in two games. This year, the Patriots defeated Benjamin Russell in Round 1 and Briarwood Christian in Round 2.
Game 1 is scheduled for Thursday, May 4.
