Scott Nickerson
Elmore Autauga News
With the area championship on the line after splitting two games against Wetumpka, Stanhope Elmore sophomore pitcher Cooper Mitchell delivered a huge performance on the mound for the Mustangs, only allowing 1 run on 4 hits in a 6-1 victory. The win clinched the Class 6A Area 4 championship for the second consecutive season.
“It always feels great to accomplish one of the goals the team sets at the beginning of the season,” said Stanhope Elmore Baseball Coach Shuman. “It was a battle from pitch one, but I’m proud that our guys were able to get the job done, even with their backs against the wall in game 3.”
The Mustangs jumped on top in the 1st inning of Game 3 with three runs and never looked back. Grayson Jones and Davis Foshee each had two hits, while Hayden Anderson and Cavarous Ellis each had one hit. Coach Shuman credited the reliability of the group over the course of the series, and he also recognized Mitchell’s pitching performance.
“Cooper Mitchell taking the mound in a game three as a sophomore and putting up the performance he did was very impressive. He’s been consistent all year and did not blink in the big moment.”
While the decisive Game 3 victory was the area clincher, the Mustangs wouldn’t have gotten there without one of the most impressive performances of the season in the opening game of the series.
The Mustangs’ ace headed into the season, Jordan Jones, missed the majority of the season with a back injury. But he returned in Game 1 and delivered an epic performance, pitching 10 innings as the Mustangs battled deep into extra innings. Jones allowed no earned runs and threw 81 strikes out of 116 pitches.
“Jordan Jones had one of the most gutsy performances on the mound I’ve ever been a part of. I’ve never thrown a kid that many innings, but he came back and gave us more than we could ever hoped for in a spot we needed him the most,” said Coach Shuman.
With the game tied at 1 in the 10th inning, Grayson Jones scored the go-ahead run off a double by Cavarous Ellis to right field.
The Mustangs will host the 1st round of the Class 6A playoffs on Friday, April 24, at Furlow Field on the Stanhope Elmore campus. The Mustangs will face Rehobeth High School. The Rebels are 19-9 on the season according to MaxPreps and finished as the runner up to Pike Road in Area 3.
After making it to the Class 6A Final Four in two of the last three years, Coach Shuman knows what it takes to advance deep in the playoffs, and he thinks this years’ Mustangs team has another opportunity to make a run.
“I really like this team. We have a strong pitching staff and a bunch of guys who like to win and don’t care how we do it. That’s been the key to success in years past. You have to get a couple of balls to bounce your way in the playoffs and often times it comes down to who gets hot at the right time, but I believe we have the right recipe to give ourselves a chance,” said Coach Shuman.
