High school pitcher clips wayward bird's feathers

As a pitcher, Ryne Elvers is no Randy Johnson, and in this case it's a good thing. The righthander for Sacred Heart-Griffin High School in Illinois pitched well in a 3-1 victory over Springfield Southeast -- giving up just four hits and getting one himself when his low fastball struck a bird that flew into the danger zone in front of home plate. The feathers flew, but the bird flew away and was last seen skedaddling over the center field fence. That's a better fate than what befell the bird Johnson hit. So if you're scoring at home, it does not go down as a sacrifice fly.