BASEBALL: Fennell leads Falcons to second win
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Just two days into the season, Elverado High School's baseball team has eclipsed their win total from 2011 after Tuesday's 11-2 victory over Crab Orchard when starting pitcher Eli Fennell tossed a complete game for the Falcons in Dowell.
Fennell allowed both runs in the first inning before inducing an inning-ending double play, then proceeded to work out of several jams while holding the Trojans scoreless for the final six innings. The right-hander surrendered five hits, two walks and a hit batsman and struck out four.
"He's not over-powering, but if he keeps the ball down, you can kind of see what happens, he gets ground balls, he gets double plays," said Falcons' head baseball coach Tim Davis. "He did a great job. I was worried about his pitch count, but he kept telling me he was fine, so I ran him out there in the seventh and he finished it up."
After going down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the first, the Falcons batted around in the bottom of the second. Jake Lipe drove in a pair with a two-out single to score Brian McClanahan and Dalton Porter, then Bryce Mathis followed with another single to drive in Fennell and give Elverado a 3-2 lead.
Fennell escaped trouble in the top of the third after allowing back-to-back two-out singles, then didn't allow another hit until the seventh.
The Trojans walked in two Falcon runs in the fourth, then two more walks in the fifth set up Mathis for an RBI single. He would later score after stealing third and taking home on a wild throw to make it 8-2. Fennell added an RBI single in a three-run sixth for the Falcons.
"They helped us out with the walks, but it's a testament to our patience as well," Davis said.
All eleven Falcon runs crossed the plate with two outs.
"That kills teams, that deflates them," said Davis. "If we keep doing that, we're going to be pretty good."
Mathis was the only Falcon with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 (2 HBP) with a run scored and three driven in. Porter (1-3, 3 R, BB), Fennell (1-2, 3 R, RBI, 2 BB), Lipe (1-2, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB) and Collin Hester (1-3, 2 R, BB) had the other Elverado hits against Crab.
In Monday's season opener at Thompsonville, the Falcons picked up a 10-4 victory behind a two-hit, two-RBI game from catcher Christian Kistner (2-4). McClanahan (1-4, 2 RBI), Mathis (1-4, RBI, BB) and Wade Bowlin (1-4) also hit safely in that game for Elverado.
"We've got kids that like to work," said Davis. "They're having fun, and we want to make sure it's fun for them, baseball's a fun game. We just have to keep working hard, our schedule doesn't get any easier.
The Falcons (2-0) play again Wednesday when they travel to Johnston City, and Thursday at home against Webber.
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