Orange’s lineup excels in 9-6 win over Blue in game one

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The top three hitters in Tyler Miller's Orange lineup reached safely in eight of their first nine tries scoring six of the team's runs in a 9-6 game one victory Friday afternoon at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex of the team's Orange and Blue World Series.

John Sharpe (Franklin, Tenn.) went 3-for-4 with a homer and four RBIs on the day out of the three hole in the lineup. Ethan Goforth (Blacksburg, Va.) had three hits and two runs scored out of the leadoff spot and Malik Kyle (Jefferson City, Tenn.) scored twice.

With one out in the top of the first inning, Kyle drew a six-pitch walk. Sharpe was behind 0-2 when he turned on a pitch at the knees and drove it over the extended fence in left field for a two-run homer to make it 2-0 Orange team.

Sharpe was at it again on a 0-2 pitch in the top of the third inning. With two outs and a runner at second base, he grounded a ball through the left side of the infield to push the margin to 3-0.

With two outs in the bottom of the third stanza, Tyler Thompson (Gallatin, Tenn.) and Kilian Daughtry (Simpsonville, S.C.) produced RBI hits to cut the deficit to 3-2.

A six-run fifth inning blew the game open as each of the first five men reached as Mark Treadway (Friendsville, Tenn.) capped the group with a two-run since on a chopper over third base. An inning where 10 men came to the plate was capped by an RBI single by Reece Cooley (Dayton, Tenn.).

The Blue team did not go quietly but missed opportunities cost the team a comeback. A walk and three straight hit batters scored a run in the fifth to make it 9-3. With a 0-2 count on Michael Wroth (Chicopee, Mass.), a slider went behind his back but he was unable to get his bat out of the way. The ball hit the barrel and rolled out towards the mound. Tyler Hicks (Clinton, Tenn.) picked it up and shuffled it home to end the threat.

Two hit batsmen and a single started the bottom of the sixth. Micah Genter (Jasper, Tenn.) singled in a run as Charlie Brown (Sevierville, Tenn.) threw out a runner trying to score. Alan Silva (Sevierville, Tenn.) drove in a run with a base hit to left field but was thrown out after venturing too far off of first base.

A two-out by Eric Rigsby (Jonesboro, Tenn.) made it a 9-6 game and allowed the tying run to come to the plate in the last of the seventh. Dawson Sims (Stafford, Va.) blew a fastball past Cade Burkey (Knoxville, Tenn.) to seal the game one win.

Silva finished went three hits on the day while reaching base safely in all four trips with two runs scored and an RBI. Rigsby went 3-for-4 out of the eight spot in the lineup.

Game two of the series is slated for Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. The Eagle Sports Network will provide an audio stream on cneagles.com/live for those interested in listening to the game.

- CN =