Published: July 12, 2008 12:27 am            

DISTRICT V: Jeff/GRC tops New Albany 11-12

Thanks to some help from Highlander Youth and Recreation, New Albany will play for its ninth straight 11-12 District V All-Star championship on Monday.

Despite a loss to Jeff/GRC in the second game on Friday, New Albany advanced to Monday’s championship thanks to a HYR victory over Silver Creek.

Jeffersonville finished pool play unbeaten after scoring five runs in the fourth and fifth innings to beat New Albany, 14-6.

Jeff scored three times in the top of the first on two New Albany errors and a two-RBI single by Hayden Robb.

New Albany took its only lead with five runs in the fifth. In the inning, starting pitcher Austin Hines gave up a solo home run to Kyle Landrum, then walked five New Albany batters after he had shut down New Albany in the first two innings.

“I put Austin in a tough spot tonight,” Jeff coach Derek Ellis said. “He had never started (pitching) in an All-Star game. It was one of the biggest games he’d ever played and I thought he did a heck of a job. I’m very proud of Austin Hines.”

Ben Sharhoudi relieved Hines with the bases loaded and no one out in the third. He struck out two New Albany batters and got leadoff hitter Tucker Marcum to fly out to out of the jam.

Shahroudi finished the game, going four innings, giving up just a solo home run to Landrum — his second of the game — and striking out eight New Albany batters.

“He’s a solid pitcher,” Ellis said. “He’s a gamer. He’s been pitching for me for three years and I always know I can count on him. All he does is throw strikes. It was an excellent job by Ben Shahroudi.”

Hines and Shahroudi were also big at the plate. Hines keyed the fourth-inning rally with a grand slam and Shahroudi had an RBI triple in the fourth inning. Both scored twice.

“It was a game that really didn’t matter, but we wanted to go out and be competitive,” Ellis said. “It was hard to be motivated with the championship game on Monday. We had some kids who got to do some things they normally wouldn’t do, but we’re focused on Monday.”

Even with its loss, New Albany still has a spot in the championship game.

New Albany coach Aaron Goad is happy with Friday’s results — and the reprieve his team was granted.

“Our kids are very pleased to get a second chance,” Goad said. “All we wanted was a chance and now we need to take advantage of it (on Monday).”

New Albany can thank Ross Lundy and his HYR teammates for the help getting there.

Lundy pitched and hit HYR to a 7-2 win over Silver Creek, eliminating Creek and handing New Albany a shot at the title game.

Lundy gave up just two runs on three hits in five-and-a-third innings on the mound. At the plate, he went 3-for-3 with two doubles, two runs batted it and a run scored.

“He had his best game so far today, by far,” HYR coach Kent Vaughn said. “He had a great game today.”

In the first game, Silver Creek broke on top early when Blake Glaab his a solo home run to lead off the second inning.

HYR struck back to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second and never looked back.

HYR then scored another run in the third, two more in the fourth and fifth to pull away.

“It was nice to finish on a positive note. It’s not where we wanted to be, but it’s nice (to end like this).”

Wyatt Shanks had a two-run scoring double in the fifth inning and also scored in the second inning when he reached on an error. Zach Fox scored twice for HYR.

        

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