Anderson propels Tigers past Elmore County

WETUMPKA — After a disastrous 0-2 Friday night, Wesley Anderson helped right the ship for Demopolis (12-5) by working the Tigers’ first complete game of the season Saturday morning.

The Tiger senior toed the rubber for all seven frames in a 5-3 win over Elmore County High to halt a three-game DHS skid. Anderson struck out three in the contest while scattering a walk and four hits.

Anderson also helped his own cause during a five-run fifth inning for the Tigers. With his team down 3-2, Anderson stroked a two-run double that plated Brock Montgomery and Mason Rogers to put the Tigers up 4-3. Tyler Oates added an insurance run on a RBI single that scored Devin Stroud.

The Tigers started the 10-batter rally with a single by Josh Mangum. Rogers then hits a single to left to plate Mangum and get DHS on the board for the first time. Matt Eicher reached on an error before scoring the Tigers’ second run on a fielder’s choice RBI shot from Stroud.

Prior to the fifth-inning eruption, Demopolis had posted only three hits in the contest with singles from Montgomery, Anderson and Stroud.

Elmore County opened the scoring in the top of the second when Joseph Kelley reached on a single before scoring on a RBI grounder from starting pitcher Brandon Arnold.

ECHS pushed the lead to 2-0 in the fourth when Arnold doubled before coming in to score on a single by Jackson Adams. Elmore moved the advantage to 3-0 in the fifth on a RBI grounder by Tyler Black that scored Brady Knight.

Arnold also tossed a complete game for Elmore County, striking out six Tigers along the way while taking the loss.

Anderson’s outing proved an efficient one for the Tigers as he needed only 86 pitches to complete the contest. That stood as a marked improvement for a team that needed 250 pitches to get through 11 innings over a two-game stretch Friday night.