JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – It was all Bantu's in game one of the Orange and Blue World Series Friday afternoon as they coasted to a 14-2 victory, using a combination of efficient pitching and contagious hitting.
Freshman Jordan Davis (Maryville, Tenn.) was handed the ball to start for the Orange Juicemen, while senior Kai Storm (Simi Valley, Calif.) was his counterpart. The Bantu's jumped on Davis for their first two runs of the game in the top of the first on a triple by Brendan Campbell (Yardley, Pa.), his first of three in the game. An RBI single from Ethan Goforth (Blacksburg, Va.) and as sacrifice fly from Mark Treadway (Friendsville, Tenn.) scratched the fourth run of the first frame across for B-Robs bunch.
Storm shut down the Juicemen in his three innings of no-hit work, while allowing only one base runner by way of a walk. After scoring four more runs in the top of the third and two in the top of the fourth, the Bantu's brought in sophomore Ryan Victory (Brentwood, Tenn.) in a 10-0 game. Victory matched Storm's three no-hit innings and gave up a walk. An error and a sacrifice fly allowed the Juicemen to break the shut out in the bottom of the sixth.
With the no-hitter still intact in the bottom of the seventh and one out, Gooch Greer (Dickson, Tenn.) added a baseball to Mossy Creek's population with a solo moon shot to left. Junior pitcher Harley Thompson (Tullhoma, Tenn.) was able to work out of the inning while only allowing the one hit and close out a 14-2 victory for the Blue Bantu's.
Offensively for the Bantu's, Campbell led the way with four hits, three of them triples, and five RBIs. Also compiling multi-hit days were seniors Joey Selitto (Newton, N.J.) and Ryan Addington (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Goforth. Selitto and Goforth each had three knocks and drove in two, while Addington had two hits and two RBI. Will Findley (Wilmington, Del.) knocked a two-run, two-out triple in the gap and made an outstanding defensive play up the middle to keep the no-hitter intact in the middle of the ball game.
Storm earned the win on the mound, while Davis takes the loss. Game two will be tomorrow, Saturday October 15 at 11:30 a.m. Coach Haeberle of the Orange Juiceman will hand the ball to Sophomore Tanner Fee, while coach Roberts of the Bantu's will start Senior Ryan Eberle. The game will be played under National league rules.
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