By Scott Nickerson
Elmore/Autauga News
After playing the first two rounds of the playoffs at home, the Stanhope Elmore baseball team had to travel for the first time this post-season when they faced off against Hillcrest High School out of Tuscaloosa in the 3rd round of the Class 6A baseball playoffs. The result, however, was the same as the first two rounds, with the Mustangs sweeping both games from the Patriots, winning 4-3 in Game 1 and 7-2 in Game 2.
The Mustangs quickly flexed their muscles at the plate, with Chase Williams and Colton Walls both hitting solo home runs in the top of the 1st inning.
But the Patriots didn’t go down without a fight. Starting pitcher Colin Woodham gave up a single to the leadoff batter in the bottom of the 2nd inning, but was able to get two outs without the runner advancing. However, back-to-back hits, along with a Mustang error, scored two runs for the Patriots and tied the game at 2. Woodham was able to get out of the inning without allowing another run.
Neither team scored until the top of the 6th inning. Evan Duncan reached for the Mustangs after a Hillcrest error. Two Mustang batters walked to load the bases, and the next two batters were hit by a pitch and walked, bringing home two runs and putting Stanhope Elmore ahead 4-2.
Woodham continued pitching into the bottom of the 7th, when the first two Hillcrest batters singled to put the game tying run on base, with the winning run at the plate. Woodham was able to get the next two batters out, and needed just one out to clinch the win, but a Mustang error on the next batter brought home a Patriot run, cutting the lead to 4-3, with the game tying run at 3rd base. With everything on the line, the final batter lined out to center field, clinching the Game 1 win for Stanhope Elmore, 4-3.
In the win, Woodham pitched a complete game, striking out 6 and giving up only two earned runs, most importantly earning the win. The Mustangs managed only three hits in Game 1, but two of them homers by Williams and Walls.
Senior Colton Walls was the starting pitcher in Game 2 for the Mustangs. Walls only gave up one hit, a single, through the first 5 innings. By that point, the Mustangs were already up 6-0. The Mustangs scored two runs in their half of the 2nd inning, and added another three runs in the 4th and a single run in the 5th.
The Patriots were able to get on the scoreboard with a two out, two-run home run in the 6th inning, but that was the closest they would get. The Mustangs added another insurance run in the bottom of the 6th inning when Chase Williams hit his second home run of the day, a solo shot to left field. Walls closed things out on the mound in the Top of the 7th, moving the Mustangs on to the Class 6A Semi-finals.
Walls also pitched a complete game, giving up only two earned runs and four hits, while striking out six.
With the win, the Mustangs record is 29-5 on the season, and they will be one of only four teams remaining in Class 6A when they take the field next week, with a chance to advance to the state championship game for the first time since 2006.
