Elkville Fastpitch Back in ASA's Final Four

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ Elkville Fastpitch is in the final four of the Illinois ASA Class B State Fastpitch Softball Tournament, following three Saturday victories.

After opening with a 10-2 romp over Kohlmann Orthopedics of Teutopolis, the local squad whipped Brandt's Fertilizer of Springfield 9-1 and Teutopolis Tropical Snow 6-1 ti reach Sunday.

At 12:45 p.m. Sunday, Elkville tangles with Teutopolis Miller Lite and needs four consecutive wins to claim its fourth ASA B State title. Last year, they finished fourth.

Defending state champ Villa Grove (Log Cabin) and Belleville Stallions play at 11 a.m. in the winners bracket final.

In the win over Brandt's, Les Wood scattered five hits and struck out three in the five-inning affair.

Eight different batters had at least one hit for Elkville, which jumped ahead 2-0 on first inning RBI hits by Drew Porter and Shawn Hunter. A six-run second inning put the victory early. Lance Bedar, Shawn Hunter and Barry Maynor all smacked RBI hits with Dusty Jaroski tripling home two more tallies.

Bedar, Aaron Hunter, Maynor, Porter and Jaroski all had two hits with S. Hunter going 3-for-3.

A 12-hit attack, with at least one safety for every spot in the line-up, lifted Elkville to its victory over Tropical Snow.

Jaroski's RBI double staked Wood and Elkville to a 1-0 second inning lead. In the fifth, Elkville sealed its trip to the final four by sending 10 batters to the plate.

Five runs scored, three on A. Hunter's towering home run to dead centerfield. Bedar's single and a T'town error pushed the margin to 6-0.

Wood fanned 10 and pitched a three-hitter, surrendering only a sixth inning run.

S. Hunter added three more hits with Bedar going 2-for-4. Jaroski finished with an RBI, his eighth of the day. Chad Reams, Maynor, Drew Porter, Nathan Hunter and Timmy Herring all hit safely.

Elkville 9, Brandt's 1

Brandt's 010 00- 1 6 2

Elkville 260 1x- 9 15 2

WP-Wood. LP-Gualandi.

Elkville 6, Tropical Snow 1

Elkville 010 050 0- 6 12 2

T'town 000 001 x- 1 3 3

WP-Wood. LP-Brumleve.