H-F Designated Hitter Has a Blast in His First Start

His first start was a memorable one.

Homewood-Flossmoor junior Elon Chamberlin was inserted into the Vikings' lineup as the designated hitter in a 7-3 baseball victory over Stagg on Monday afternoon. And he made his presence felt.

"I like DH-ing, it gets me in the lineup," Chamberlin said after blasting a three-run homer in the fifth to help H-F raise its record to 9-1. "It would be nice to get in the field, but you just have to go out there and do what you have to do."

Chamberlin's homer was his first on the varsity level and put the Vikings ahead 7-3. He struck out in his first at-bat and dropped down a sacrifice bunt in his second plate appearance.

Then, he made the adjustment the third time around and went yard.

"I knew he would throw it low and in, so that's where I looked and I hit it over the fence," Chamberlin said.

His coach, H-F's Todd Sippel, was thrilled with the big hit.

"We were up one in that spot with two outs, and that was just a huge hit," Sippel said. "We were looking for a single or something just to score one extra run, and he hits a tough pitch. It was breaking ball down and in. It just barely stayed fair. (But) it was a no doubter, that's for sure (as far as the distance)."

Chamberlin also plays left field for the baseball Vikings. He is a defensive end on the H-F football team.