THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 14, 1995 TAG: 9504140561
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Short : 43 lines
Green Run pitching ace Chris Elmore started off a little shaky, but finished up in superb form.
The result was a 3-0 victory by the Stallions over Deep Creek in the championship game of the Churchland Baseball Classic Thursday.
The Hornets managed only three hits off two Green Run pitchers, two in an unusual six-inning stint by the lefthanded Elmore.
Elmore pitched the first inning and then was moved to first base by coach Jeff Ballance. Shortstop David Abbott, the Stallions' No. 2 pitcher, worked the second inning, and Elmore then returned to the mound for the rest of the game.
``I could see his arm was tight,'' Ballance said. ``He was short-arming the ball. By moving David in, Chris was able to get loosened up. And when the game ended he was really throwing.''
Elmore struck out eight in the last three innings and allowed no hits after the third inning.
Green Run (6-0) was stymied for three innings by Deep Creek lefthander Joey Tonetti, but bunched two runs in the fourth and scored another in the seventh.
The Stallions pulled two double plays and catcher John Defere threw out one would-be base stealer. The Green Run pitchers faced only 24 batters.
Green Run defeated Churchland and Wilson en route to the title.
In the third-place game, Tallwood thrased Wilson, 15-1. Jeff Gathings stopped the Presidents on four hits and had four of his own - a triple, double and two singles.
He drove in four runs.
Churchland walloped Booker T. Washington in the fifth-place game, 22-1.
Chris Kelly struck out eight and surrendered only three hits in working four innings. Leftfielder Dale Heely had four hits and drove in six runs for the Truckers. by CNB