Oct. 22, 2010

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Behind a three-run second inning, the White team defeated the Orange squad, 5-4, in game seven of the Orange and White World Series as the Tennessee baseball team wrapped up its fall season Friday evening at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

The win marked the White's second in the series, with the Orange squad taking four and the two teams splitting one.

"I thought overall we had our best game of the fall," head coach Todd Raleigh said. "It was a very competitive game. I thought other than the second game, it was our best pitching performance from a different number of guys. We didn't swing the bats as good but we were able to score some runs. I was pleased defensively and overall."

The White team had an all-around effort, with six players recording a hit. Four of those six notched doubles: senior Josh Liles, juniors Chris Pierce and Wes Walker, and freshman Ethan Bennett.

Junior Steven Gruver earned the win, pitching four innings and striking out four batters. Senior Rob Catapano and sophomore Kevin Greene each struck out a pair.

The Orange squad was led by seniors Matt Duffy and Tyler Horne, each of which registered two hits. Duffy stood out with a pair of RBIs and a double.

Receiving the loss for the Orange was freshman Carter Watson who gave up three runs, two earned, during his two innings pitched. Watson and junior T.J. Thornton retired three batters apiece.

Duffy's first RBI came in the bottom of the first inning on the Orange team's lone double to bring in junior Matt Ramsey, who singled on the play before. After the Orange took a 1-0 advantage, the White responded with its best inning of the night.

Two of the White's four doubles came in the top of the second inning. After junior Davis Morgan walked, Walker knocked a double into left field to bring in the White team's first run. Two batters later, Liles hit the White's second double along the left baseline, bringing in another run. Morgan advanced to first base on another walk and after a pair of wild pitches, Liles crossed home plate to give the White squad a 3-1 lead.

The Orange team started the bottom of the second inning strong as sophomore Chris Fritts walked and senior Tyler Horne nailed a single between short and third. Following a sacrifice bunt from junior Adam King, Fritts scored on a ground out by freshman Blake Berger. Fritts struck out on the next series, leaving the Orange with a 3-2 deficit after the second inning.

In the third inning, the Orange defense held serve featured by a double play. Offensively, freshman Andrew Toles reached first base on a wild pitch and stole second base on the next play, his seventh steal of the fall. Two batters later, Duffy provided his second RBI with a single to left field, knotting the score at three.

The Orange team flirted with breaking the stalemate in the bottom of the fifth inning as a pair of errors and a stolen base found junior Matt Ramsey at third to begin the latter half of the fifth. The White stepped up defensively, however, coming up with a strike out and a double play to keep things tied at three. Neither team managed a hit between the fourth and sixth innings.

That changed in the top of the seventh, however, as Pierce's double put two in scoring position for the White team. Junior Zach Osborne walked to open the frame and scored the go-ahead run after Bennett grounded out to third on the next play.

Team White extended its lead to 5-3 in the top of the eighth inning. Junior Jerod Peper singled to lead off the inning, while Liles advanced to first on an error and Morgan singled to load the bases. Walker hit one high to left field, allowing Peper to tag up and score the White's fifth run.

The Orange squad made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth when Toles hit a line drive down the third baseline for the game's lone triple. With no outs, Ramsey grounded out to short, allowing Toles to score what turned out to be the final run of the game. After Duffy grounded out to short as well, sophomore Drew Steckenrider made it to first on an infield error. The White team sealed its second victory of the series as Toles hit a fly out to left field.

"We need to work on everything," Raleigh said. "I think since I've been here at Tennessee, this is the most improved team we've had over the course of the fall. I like our talent on the mound still. We have to work on our depth a little bit but we're good defensively. We've done some good things. We were able to create some runs with speed and putting pressure on the defense."

2010 Tennessee Baseball
Orange vs. White
Oct. 22, 2010 at Knoxville, Tenn.
(Lindsey Nelson Stadium)

Score by Innings                          R  H  E
----------------------------------------------------
White.....................030  000  110 - 5  3  3
Orange....................111  000  001 - 4  3  0
----------------------------------------------------

White                     IP   H  R  ER  BB  SO
-------------------------------------------------
Steven Gruver............4.0   3  3   3   2   4
Levi Dean................1.0   0  0   0   1   1
Kevin Greene.............2.0   0  0   0   1   2
Rob Catapano.............1.0   1  0   0   0   2
Nick Blount..............0.1   1  1   1   0   0
Jerod Peper..............0.2   0  0   0   0   0


2B - Liles 2(3); Walker 1(1); Pierce 1(2); Bennett 1(2)
3B - None
HR - None
RBI - Walker 1(2); Liles 1(4); Bennett 1(8)
SB -Morgan 1(1)
CS - Morgan 1(2)

Orange                    IP   H  R  ER  BB  SO
-------------------------------------------------
Carter Watson............2.0   2  3   2   3   3
T.J. Thornton............3.0   0  0   0   1   3
Zach Godley..............2.0   1  1   1   2   0
Josh Allman..............0.2   2  1   0   0   1
Hunter Daniel............0.1   0  0   0   0   0
Nick Williams............1.0   1  0   0   1   0


2B - Duffy 1(5)
3B - Toles 1(1)
HR - None
RBI - Duffy 2(9); Ramsey 1(6)
SB - Toles 1(7); Ramsey 1 (3)
CS - Duffy 1(2);Fritts 1(2)