DECATUR — According to Newton County High School baseball coach Wyatt Tullos, it was just an ordinary night on the mound for Tanner Elders.

    Elders, a senior right-hander, was dominant as he limited Bay High School to three hits and struck out eight batters as Newton County beat the visiting Tigers 5-1 in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs on Friday night.

    The Cougars improve to 25-5 on the season and will travel to the Mississippi Gulf Coast today for Game 2 of the series. Bay falls to 14-9 on the season.

    Elders kept Bay off balance all night, giving up an unearned run in the top of the fifth, plowing through the Tigers’ lineup in just 87 pitches.

    “Tanner did what Tanner does,” Tullos said. “He threw a bunch of strikes and kept the ball low in the zone. That’s just what Tanner does. He’s been outstanding all season long, and tonight was no different.”

    Elders credited his defense and his curveball for the night’s efforts.

    “They were chasing my curveball, and that kept them off balance,” said Elders, an East Central Community College signee. “The defense really worked behind me and turned a couple of double plays to help me keep my pitch count down.”

    The Cougars put plenty of straight numbers on the board, scratching single runs in the first five innings.

    “We just kept on chipping away at them,” Tullos said. “We had several chances to break open the game, and they made some plays. I give Bay a lot of credit, they made plays when we had them on the ropes. We were just never able to put them away.”

    The Cougars had seven hits on the night as Jacob Edwards and Micah Williams each had two hits apiece. Williams and Alec Ivey each drove in runs on the night.

    “We had a big crowd here tonight, and that’s always fun for the kids,” Tullos said. “It’s good for the community, and it’s good for the kids.”