Blue rides big first frame to series-evening win

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – In game two of the Fall World Series, the Blue team put four runs on the board in the first inning and held off a mid-inning series by the Orange team to tie the series at one with a 14-3 game two win on Friday afternoon at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.

After a hit batter started the game, Alan Silva (Sevierville, Tenn.) turned on a 2-1 pitch and crushed it over the fence in left field to put the Blue Team on top before an out was recorded. With one out, the group was able to load the bases. Runs crossed the dish on a bases loaded walk and a fielder's choice to make it a 4-0 contest.

Blue team starting pitcher Matt Bradley retired the first nine batters of the game with four punch outs before Ethan Goforth (Blacksburg, Va.) hit a chopper back up the middle that evaded the glove of Micah Genter (Jasper, Tenn.) for a base knock. Three pitches later on a 1-1 offering, John Sharpe (Franklin, Tenn.) hit his second home run is as many days with a blast over the fence in left field to pull the Blue side within a pair at 4-2.

Mark Treadway (Friendsville, Tenn.) lined a single to center field and scored moments later. Charlie Brown (Sevierville, Tenn.) dribbled a ball to the third baseman. After he was thrown out, Treadway never broke stride as an errant throw to third base allowed him to score and make it a 4-3 contest.

The Blue team took answered back in the next half frame. Hal Bishop (Knoxville, Tenn.) drew a four-pitch walk with one out in the fifth inning. Two batters later Chris Caldwell (Seymour, Tenn.) ripped a ball inside of the third base bag and into the corner to bring Bishop home. Bradley helped his own cause hitting a 1-2 pitch down the left-field line to get the margin back to three runs at 6-3.

The run continued in the top of the sixth as the Blue squad pushed across four runs to extend the margin to 10-3. Each of the first five batters reached in the inning.

Tyler Thompson (Gallatin, Tenn.) reached on a fielder's choice and stole second. He scored on a base hit to left field by Drake Hamrick (Gaffney, S.C.). A double steal, a two-base hit and a throwing error pushed the lead to 14-3.

Bradley did it all foe Joe Selitto's club. The right-hander threw five innings allowing three earned runs on three hits while striking out six batters. At the dish, he went 2-for-3 with a run driven in. 

Silva continued his hot series for the Blue team reaching base three times with two hits as he has now been on base in six of the seven plate appearances during the fall classic.

Sharpe led the Orange team with his second homer in as many days as Tyler Miller's side was only able to muster three hits on the day.

The third game of the series will be on Sunday at 2 p.m. from the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex. The Eagle Sports Network will have the coverage on cneagles.com/live for the action.

- CN -