JEFFERSONVILLE — Jeffersonville’s Drew Ellis — normally the baseball team’s starting shortstop — struck out 12 Clarksville batters in his first start as the team’s pitcher in an 8-1 victory at Don Poole Field on Tuesday.

Ellis needed just 72 pitches to get through six innings of work. He allowed just two hits, and the only run allowed was unearned.

“We also needed another pitcher to step up, and Drew is somebody that I don’t like taking off of shortstop, because it hurts our defense, but he has ... one of the best of arms on the team, so it’s hard to keep him off the mound,” Jeffersonville coach Matthew Rigsby said. “I wanted to see what he could do, and I wanted him to have a game under his belt, and he came out tonight and did exactly what I thought he would do. He didn’t disappoint, that’s for sure.”

After a flat first inning, Jeffersonville (6-6) got the offense going in the second inning when Chanse Oliver hit a two-out single off of Clarksville (7-11) pitcher Tanner Wallace to plate Dalton Conway.

Jeff struck again in each of the subsequent innings. In the third, it was Charlie Garwood who hit a two-out single to plate Isaac Crafton, and Crafton hit a two-run single off the wall to extend the Jeff lead.

Eight of Jeff’s 12 hits were to the opposite field.

“That was the biggest thing I was proud of, because that’s going to take us farther than anything else,” Rigsby said.

Crafton was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with a triple, while Conway was 2-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored.

Jeffersonville travels to Jennings County today. The Generals host West Washington today.

• New Albany run rules North Harrison: Class 4A No. 5 New Albany handed Class 3A No. 3 North Harrison (14-2) its second loss of the season in a five-inning, 11-1 victory at Mount Tabor Field on Tuesday.

The Bulldogs (16-2) led 4-1 heading into the home fifth inning, but exploded for seven runs to bring the contest to an early end.

Cameron Mullins led the New Albany offense, going 3-for-3 with a double, a triple and two RBIs.

Also for the Bulldogs, Logan Striegel was 3-for-4 with two RBIs, Garrett Sherrell was 3-for-3 with an RBI, Josh Rogers went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Jordan Striegel was 2-for-2 with a solo home run.

Shane Robison improved to 4-0 for New Albany, going all five innings and striking out six. He allowed one earned run on three hits. The New Albany defense did not commit an error.

New Albany will host Providence on Thursday.

• Floyd Central downs Tell City: Floyd Central won in come-from-behind fashion against Tell City at home on Tuesday, 3-2.

Matt Powers improved to 3-2 on the year for the Highlanders (10-7), allowing just two earned runs in the contest.

Down 2-1 in the home fourth after a two-run frame by the visitors, Floyd Central plated two more runs to retake the lead.

The Highlanders will host Seymour on Thursday.



SOFTBALL

• New Albany trounces Southwestern: New Albany jumped on Southwestern to build a 5-0 lead through three innings and got a 9-1 home win on Tuesday.

McKenzie Gill struck out nine batters in the contest, and the only hit she surrendered was in the game’s final inning with two out.

Mady Baumann went 2-for-2 with a sacrifice and two RBIs for the Bulldogs (10-8), while teammate Hannah Morton was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.

New Albany will travel to Paoli on Thursday.

• New Albany shuts out East: New Albany blanked host Columbus East on Monday, 5-0.

Morton pitched the shutout for the Bulldogs, striking out 12 against two walks.

Baumann was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, while Brittany Jones was 2-for-4 with another run batted in. Columbus East fell to 0-14 with the loss.



BOYS’ GOLF

• Providence rolls past Silver Creek: Providence bested Silver Creek by 30 strokes at Covered Bridge Golf Club in Sellersburg on Tuesday, 162-192.

Leading the way for the Pioneers were Bryce Very and Robert Waiz, who each shot a 40.

Also for the Pioneers, Max Hupp and Elliott Happel finished a stroke behind the pace with 41 apiece, while teammate Mitchell Allender shot a 42.

Colin Tingle tied Very and Waiz for Silver Creek’s best score of the day with a 40.

Also for the Dragons, Sam Garr stroked a 43, Ethan McCartney carded a 54, Zach Ricketts turned in a 55 and Blake Duncan shot a 57.

Providence will next play in the Big Four at Covered Bridge on Monday. Silver Creek will meet host Clarksville at Wooded View Golf Course on Thursday.



GIRLS’ TENNIS

• Floyd Central blanks Castle: Floyd Central downed host Castle on Tuesday, 5-0.

The third-ranked Highlanders did not surrender a set in the contest.

“I think the girls played really well,” Floyd Central coach Rick Miller said. “The conditions today were pretty unpredictable because the gusts of wind were probably 20-, 25-mile-per-hour gusts. But our kids seemed to adjust after a while and got in the groove. We didn’t lose any sets, so I’m really happy about that.”

At No. 1 singles, the Highlanders’ Olivia Boesing took down Rachel Bortoff, 6-2, 6-3. Carmen Schreiber was dominant in a 6-1, 6-0 victory over the Knights’ Bailey Dezillez, while Floyd Central’s Dana Frank knocked off Corie Odon, 6-2, 6-2.

The Highlanders’ No. 1 doubles tandem of Whitney Batliner and Katherine Dauby teamed to defeat Allison Mann and Katie Brookman, 6-1, 6-3. At two doubles, Erin Patterson and Chelsea Shackelford had the hardest-fought victory of the day in a 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 win over Castle’s Elizabeth Bolk and Ali Whitehurst.

Floyd Central will host Bedford North Lawrence for the first round of the Hoosier Hills Conference tournament next Monday.

• Charlestown falls to Austin: Charlestown dropped a 3-1 decision to Austin at home on Monday.

“Austin was just much better than us today,” Charlestown coach Chris Ryan said. “Austin’s top two singles players controlled their matches, as did their No. 1 doubles team.”

Charlestown’s only win of the contest came at No. 2 doubles, where Bailey Masingo and Erica Broady breezed through the first set and controlled the second for a 6-0, 6-4 win over Bekka Raichel and Megan Smith.

The No. 3 singles match between Austin’s Jessie Davidson and Charlestown’s Sarah Trotter was canceled on account of weather with Davidson leading 6-1, 5-5.

“I would have liked to see how Sarah Trotter’s match would have played out at three singles,” Ryan said, “but with the (meet) already decided, the lightning forced us to call the match.”

Charlestown will travel to Madison Shawe on Thursday.