Posted: Oct 19, 2014
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - You have heard what they say about Division II baseball. Fans pay for the whole seat but they only need the edge of it. That old adage was true as ever Sunday afternoon at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.
Two seniors toed the rubber as senior righthander Logan Shaftner (Lexington, Ky.) started for the Orange Squad going up against senior hurler Carson Bryant (Fletcher, N.C.) for the Blue team. The Orange team opened the scoring in the bottom of the first as senior first baseman Evan Jurjevic (New Carlisle, Ind.) singled through the left side to score senior outfielder Bo Ausmus (Jefferson City, Tenn.) who hit a two-out double.
The score remained 1-0 until the fifth. Bryant had yet to surrender a hit until sophomore infielder Eric Lynch (Boonton, N.J.) led off the inning with a single to right. After a sacrifice bunt, an intentional walk and a strike out, leadoff hitter junior Eric Fight (Bloomington, Ill.) lined a single to left to score Lynch and tie the game. Junior third basemen Brandon Roberts (Davie, Fla.) followed up with a single up the middle to bring home senior catcher J.D. Cowart (Athens, Tenn.) and Fight.
The 3-1 lead was short lived for the Orange Squad. The first two hitters reached base in the bottom of the fifth, bringing up the hot hitting senior Bryan Everhart (Greeneville, Tenn.) with an opportunity to give his team a lead. Everhart sent a 1-0 breaking ball way over the wall in left center to regain the lead for the Bluega Whales.
Shaftner's day was over after 4.1 innings. He struck out three and allowed three earned runs (four runs). Bryant struck out four over five innings allowing three earned runs.
Sophomore hurler Justin Evans (Salisbury, N.C.) came in for the Orange team to retire all four batters he faced. Freshman righty Nick Savoie (Denver, N.C.) pitched a scoreless sixth for the Blue team.
In a 4-3 game, sophomore second basemen Joey Selitto (Newton, N.J.) led off the top of the seventh with a clutch single. After a sacrifice bunt and a pop out, the Orangetangs were down to their final out with the tying run on second base. After back-to-back walks to Fight and Roberts, the bases were juiced for junior outfielder Joe Tipton (Dandridge, Tenn.). Tipton dropped the hammer on the first pitch he saw from senior righty Michael Cogliano (Medford, N.J.) and laced a bases clearing double just over the glove of a leaping centerfielder Ryan Addington (Cincinnati, Ohio). Tipton later scored on a passed ball to extend the lead to 7-4.
The Orangetangs brought in game one starter Jamie Miller (Wardensville, W.V.) to shut the door in the bottom of the seventh. He pitched a perfect inning and was mobbed by his teammates on the mound. The Orangetangs won the five-game series 3-1.
The Orangetangs tallied six, two-out RBI on the day.
W – Justin Evans
L – Michael Cogliano
S – Jamie Miller
Game five of the series will be played Tuesday afternoon at Jefferson County High School.
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