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Ludwig leads Huskies
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 CAUGHT RED-HANDED: Elgin’s G.D. Clark applies the tag at third base to nab a would-be base stealer. The Observer/PAUL HARDER However, third baseman Wes Burgess didn’t quite feel the same way. Burgess was scratched from the starting line-up during batting practice. The junior third baseman walked into an aluminum windmill — taking a bat to the head. Huskies head coach Greg Luse moved pieces of the puzzle around to form a new line-up. It paid off in Game 1, a 14-3 win against visiting Class 3A Umatilla. Elgin trailed 2-0 through one and a half innings, but roared back with 11 runs in a three-inning span. Three walks to start the fourth inning allowed the Huskies to break the game open. Tanner Hallgarth started the hitting show with a double to drive in Jake Kennedy. Dalton Moore followed with a double a batter later, and Dillan Moore capped the inning with a RBIS single.
 MOORE THAN ENOUGH: Elgin pitcher Dillan Moore kept the Umatilla batters off balance during a 14-3 win in Game 1 Saturday. The Observer/PAUL HARDER Moore allowed two runs on two hits. Ludwig struggled with his command, hitting two batters and walking one. Umatilla took advantage of the free passes to score one run. In doing so, it only fired up the senior Ludwig. After a hit batsman and a single by G.D. Clark, Ludwig drilled a pitch to straight away center that left the ballpark for a walk-off home run. The loss of Burgess reared its head in Game 2. Elgin handed the game to the Vikings 6-3. “(Will) is our third baseman,” Luse said. “We don’t have anyone working out over there, because he’s always there. His defense was definitely missed today.” Three errors at the hot corner opened the door for the Vikings in the fourth. Umatilla seized the opportunity to score four runs, while picking up four hits in the innings. “You can’t give up runs like that against good teams,” Luse said. To compound matters, the top of the Elgin order went to sleep in Game 2. The first five batters combined to go 1-of-16. G.D. Clark picked up the lone hit — a single in the fifth. Clark was picked off two pitches later, with Ludwig in the batter’s box. “That hurt,” Luse said. “To finally get that hit, and have the inning end that way. We can’t let that happen. Our clean-up hitter was digging in, and we were down. We’ll be going back to the fundamentals this week.” Jake Kennedy hobbled to the plate in the fourth — still feeling the affects of being hit by a pitch in the calf in Game 1. Kennedy had a Gibson-esque moment, hitting a solo home run. Elgin (4-1, 2-0) will travel to Pine Eagle for a noon doubleheader Friday.
Umatilla 020 01 — 3 2 1 Elgin 030 83 — 14 8 2 W: Di. Moore. L: Trukosilz. 2B— E: Moore, Hallgarth. 3B— E: Ludwig. HR— E: Ludwig. Game 2 Umatilla 004 010 1 — 6 9 1 Elgin 000 201 0 — 3 4 6 W: U/A. L: Da. Moore. HR— E: Kennedy. |
