SIZZLING RED DEVILS SCORCH S. PEMISCOT WITH 10-2 WIN

STEELE, Mo. -- It won't go down as one of Matt Stroup's most dominating performances.

But it just might have been his most efficient.

Stroup, the area's strikeout leader, threw six innings of three-hit shutout ball and needed only 69 pitches to do it as Chaffee (25-2) knocked off South Pemiscot 10-2 in a Class 2A sectional game Thursday.

Chaffee's defense was solid all day behind the lanky right-hander and the Red Devils scored at least one run in every inning but the fifth.

Chaffee led 10-0 in the seventh before South Pemiscot (14-13) scored a couple of token runs off Zak Horman in the seventh inning.

Of the three hits the Bulldogs had off Stroup, two were bloop singles. But Stroup only struck out four.

"They were hitting everything I was throwing up there, but they just weren't hitting it hard anywhere," Stroup said. "I had good control, that's why they were swinging at everything. I think that was the first time all year I didn't walk anybody."

Stroup will have four innings of eligibility and a fairly fresh arm in case he is needed for the Red Devils' quarterfinal game with visiting Clearwater at 2 p.m. Saturday. Clearwater defeated West County 7-2.

"He threw well and kept his pitch count down so he'll be ready," Chaffee coach Brian Horrell said. "But I have a firm belief that you're not going to go anywhere with just one pitcher. We have a lot of faith in G.P. Glueck and I'd like nothing more than for him to come out and throw a complete game for us Saturday."

Chaffee made scoring look easy Thursday as it avenged an 8-7, eight-inning loss to the Bulldogs suffered earlier this season.

Jeremy Lynn started the game off with a sharp double to left. After a sacrifice, Stroup drove him home on a single.

In the second, Horman reached on an error then scored on a single by Perry Rice to make it 2-0.

In the third, Rocky Portell provided an RBI single, Rusty Duncan scored on a wild pitch and Portell scored on a double steal as Chaffee took a commanding 5-0 lead.

"It's a lot easier to pitch when you're winning five or six to nothing," Stroup said.

G.P. Glueck tripled home a run in the fourth and Andrew Horrell scored on a wild pitch.

Horman doubled home a run in the sixth, while Glueck singled home a run in the seventh and Travis Hanback chased home another on a sacrifice fly.

Chaffee committed just one error in the game, that coming in the first inning.

That, more than Stroup, is what impressed South Pemiscot coach Bobby McCulloch.

"He threw the ball good today and was in control," McCulloch said. "But that defense made him a better pitcher today. We put the ball in play a lot, they just made every play. But he doesn't beat himself. He doesn't walk anybody and they catch it."

Perry Rice went 2-for-3 with a walk, a sacrifice, an RBI and a run scored. Stroup went 2-for-3 with two walks, a double, two runs and an RBI and Glueck went 2-for-5 with two RBIs.

South Pemiscot ended up with five hits, but no one had more than one.

The Bulldogs committed three errors and starting pitcher Cory Martin couldn't find his control.

Martin walked eight and threw three wild pitches. He allowed 10 runs, four earned, on 10 hits, while striking out three.

"The layoff really hurt him," McCulloch said. "He was a lot sharper last week in districts."