MIDDLE SCHOOL DEVILS AT NEW HOPE - BASEBALL TAZ

The Middle School Devils traveled to New Hope again on Saturday for a double  header. When the day was done we came away with a win and a loss. Jordan Nelson went the distance for the Devils in the first 5 inning game of the day. Nelson did a fine job on the mound in this game; he racked up 8 Ks,while he only allowed 2 runs in the first 5 inning game of the day. We were tied 1 to 1 after 1st inning and down by 2-1 after 2nd inning with Nelson getting across home plate. 


The Middle School Devils had a 4 run inning in the 3rd with a hit by Ethan Wilson driving in Eli Hobbs and Nelson.  Bryce Tyler  was able to contribute an RBI with Aron Moss crossing home plate. Then Wilson scored on a nice drive by Brady Garris to put the MS devils up 5-2 in the 3rd inning which was the final score for the game. Garris performed well behind the plate; defense made some nice plays in the field and we didn't leave our runners stranded on the bases. The action in the field along with the work by Nelson on the mound allowed the Middle School Devils to get a satisfying win. This game today was the first loss for the Indians.

	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	Final
Elkmont	1	0	4	0	0	5
New Hope	1	1	0	0	0	2
Pitching:
Jordan Nelson, 5 innings, 8 Strike Outs, 1 Walk, 2 Hits, 1 unearned run
Batting:
Eli Hobbs, 2 Singles
Jordan Nelson, 2 Singles, 1 RBI
Ethan Wilson, 1 Single, 2 RBI's
Bryce Tyler, 1 Single
Brady Garris, 1 Single, 1 RBI

In the second game of the day, it was a defensive struggle with Wilson on the mound. Wilson pitched the first two innings and with the support of his teammates no runs were allowed. Josh Johnson came to the mound to start the 3rd inning. There was 1 run allowed thru two innings of work and the second game came to an end with a loss  of 1 - 0 for the Middle School Devils.  

	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	Final
Elkmont	0	0	0	0	0	0
New Hope	0	0	1	0	0	1
Pitching:
Ethan Wilson, 2 innings, 2 hits, 1 walk, No runs
Josh Johnson, 2 innings, 3 walks, 1 hit batter, No hits
Batting:
Eli Hobbs, 1 Single
Jordan Nelson, 1 Single
Jackson Cook, 1 Single

Coach Garris played a host of guys today as it appeared that everyone saw playing time and was given the opportunity to contribute which is worthy of some kudos to Coach Garris and his method of coaching. Nice win and a nice moral victory as well.  Nice day all in all.....Taz out!!

MARCH 10 JV BASEBALL - DIAMOND DEVIL SPEAKS

Saturday is looking to be a GREAT day for baseball!  Elkmont will travel to West Limestone for two games.  The first is scheduled for 1:00 against Huntsville Catholic and the second is scheduled for 3:00 against the Wildcats.  Hope to see all the JV parents and fans there to cheer them on. 

After spending the day at the “diamond”, don’t be too weary to set your clocks forward one hour before climbing in to bed.  That way you’ll be right on time for Tuesday’s game at Elkmont as the Red Devils host the ABS Trojans.

WEST MORGAN GAMES CANCELLED

The West Morgan Rebels were scheduled to come to the Hilltop for varsity/jv  games today.  Due to the weather,  those games have been cancelled.  

All three teams will be playing tomorrow. The weather will be much improved with bright sunshine and temps in the high 60s, light breeze from the south east.


The Varsity Red Devils will travel to Tanner for a double header. First game will start at 11 pm.  The JV will roll into West Limestone for games vs Huntsville Catholic and West Limestone, starting at 1 pm.  The Middle Devils will be back in New Hope; first game starts at 11 am.

WESTMINISTER GAMES CANCELLED

The Westminister team made the trip to the Hilltop today but the coaches decided that the teams wouldn't have enough time  to get games in before the heavy rain arrived so the games today have been cancelled.  A decision on the West Morgan games tomorrow has not been made and we might not hear until about 2 pm.  Even if Elkmont does get a lot of rain tonight, the Red Devil trusty sump pump may be able to get the field ready for tomorrow night.  Be sure to check back tomorrow throughout the day until about 2:30 pm to find out the game status. 

RAIN OR NOT TO RAIN, THAT IS THE QUESTION

A cold front is coming down from the northwest and it is bringing lots of rain with it.  I have seen some forecasts of up to 3 inches by tomorrow morning.  The Hill Spirit has been watching the weather. Brief light showers before game time but it looks like the varsity will get their game against Westminister in before the infield becomes unplayable (good for the geese that occasionally come visit).  There is a good chance that a constant light rain that will get heavier will move in before the fifth inning.  They will play as long as they can in the rain so bring ponchos and umbrellas if you are coming to the game.  Hill Spirit doesn't think the JV will be able to get their game in but one can always hope.

ABS BEAT VARSITY RED DEVILS

Elkmont played the perennial baseball 1A powerhouse of Athens Bible School Trojans, March 6.  

The Red Devils took the lead in the first inning 1 - 0.  The Trojans followed up in the second inning, scoring 3 runs to go up 3 - 1 due to infield errors and good hitting.    ABS pitching kept Elkmont at bay as they increased their lead to 8 - 1 before the Devils were able to score in the fourth making it, 10 - 2.  Tyler Thomas came in to relieve Ben Ferguson in the middle of the fourth.  The fifth inning looking promising as Elkmont loaded the bases but hit into a double play that ended the chance to score several runs.  The Trojans were quickly retired in the top of the sixth inning and the Red Devils' bats came to life, scoring 3 runs.  With the score 10 - 5 going into the seventh, ABS added another run to finish the night with 11 runs.  Again Elkmont attempted to close the score margin, runners were able to get on base but weren't able to get more than one run before the last out.  Final score:  11 - 6

Starting pitcher: Ben Ferguson (loss)
Relief pitcher:   Tyler Thomas
Ben Ferguson (third base) and Rhett Bailey (shortstop) turned in solid infield performances with some excellent plays with throws to first that showcased their rocket arms.
Cole Glass led Elkmont with a double, a single and a pair of RBIs.
Skyler Gant added a double while Ferguson singled twice.


Thursday:  Westminister  (home)
Friday:       West Morgan (home)
Saturday:   Tanner (Away)

Reporter:  Hill Spirit

JV LOSE TO TROJANS - DIAMOND DEVIL SPEAKS

Cool nights and the distinct sound of a “ping” as bat meets ball.  Yes, it’s that time of year again; baseball season.

The JV team got off to a slow start losing to Brewer at home.  However, their season took a turn in the right direction with consecutive wins against East Lawrence, Falkville, and Addison. 

Last night, they met Athens Bible School at home. ABS took an early lead as Elkmont struggled to make routine plays and to get the bats going.  With ABS leading 8 to 5 in the middle of the fifth, Elkmont came to bat.  After scoring 1 with no outs, it looked as if the Red Devils were on track to either win or at least force an extra inning.  However, with a runner on base, the ABS pitcher struck the next three batters out giving Elkmont their second loss of the season.  The final score was 8 to 6.

Elkmont will face Westminister at home Thursday, weather permitting.  

ELKMONT BASEBALL BEGINS - DUST DEVIL AT THE DIAMOND

The Elkmont varsity baseball season has started and they have already played four games. The Red Devils'  record stands at 2-2.  Elkmont lost to Brewer 14 - 3, but played without six starters who were still playing basketball.  Elkmont also lost to East Lawrence, 10 - 5, when those six players joined the team and played their first game without any practice.  They were able to get in a couple of days of practice with the full varsity team before their next game.  Since then, the Red Devils have won their next two games; beating Falkville, 17 - 4 and Addison, 12 - 5.  Against Falkville, Cole Glass had three hits and Jared Bailey hit a grand slam.  Tyler Thomas pitched well against Addison picking up the win and the whole line up hit well.


OBSERVATIONS:
The team will be an excellent defensive team.   Both the infield and outfield are solid and the catcher position is strong.  The Red Devils also will be an excellent hitting team with both power and speed.  In particular, the first five batters will be a tough out every time.  Elkmont is well coached.  Coach Holt knows the game and continues to work with the players no matter the score.  


The Dust Devil sees two weaknesses that this team must improve in order to have a winning season and make the playoffs.  The first weakness is the number of strike-outs.  Even though Elkmont is an excellent hitting team and has scored enough runs so far, but good varsity teams seldom strike-out and put the ball in play to force the other team to make outs.  The second weakness is pitching.  The Red Devils have several good pitchers but none are dominate yet.  Ben Ferguson, Tyler Thomas, Michael Haney and Skyler Gant have the potential to become that top level pitcher.


PREDICTION:
The Dust Devil believes that Elkmont will be a fun team to watch and hitting and defense will be the strength of the team.  He also believes that the strike-outs will be reduced as the players get more practice.  The real question is the pitching.  The Dust Devil is going to watch a few more games before predicting if the Elkmont Red Devils will have a winning season or make the playoffs.