BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Solid pitching in the opener and finale of the Fall World Series helped pace the black team to a 2-1 series win over the red squad. The three-game intrasquad series, which was played last weekend at Nick Denes Field, serves as a wrap-up to the fall baseball practice season.
"It was a very competitive series," WKU head coach Chris Finwood said. "The black team put together the best couple of rallies, and that's what won it for them. They had good at-bats, got good starting pitching and really battled. It's what we wanted to see. The guys had fun, they competed, and the black team came out on top."
Brian Edelen got the black team off on the right foot with a solid outing on the mound in game one on Thursday. The redshirt-junior right-hander worked four innings, allowing just four hits and striking out nine. The black squad captured game one, 5-2, to move one win away from the Fall World Series title.
The red team fought back in game two, exploding for 11 runs in an 11-1 triumph on Friday that forced a winner-take-all third game. Matt Ridings got the better of his pitching matchup with Shane Cameron, as he worked six innings of one-hit baseball. The senior allowed one earned run and walked one, while striking out four.
The decisive third game was a pitching duel between freshmen Tanner Perkins and Taylor Haydel, and the black team came out on top, 5-2, to win the Fall World Series, two games to one. The two newcomers were impressive, with the black team's Perkins allowing four hits in 3.1 innings and striking out three. Haydel pitched five strong frames, giving up five hits and fanning three. Each starter allowed just two earned runs.
Rye Davis earned saves in both black team victories. He worked two innings in the series without allowing a run or a walk, and he struck out three.
Offensively, Logan Robbins and Monte Ketchum powered the red team with home runs, and Matt Borgschulte was a consistent performer at the plate in all three games. Casey Hamilton coached the black team to the series win, and Matt Hightower was at the helm of the red squad.
The Fall World Series marks the end of the fall baseball practice season. Since arriving on campus to start the school year at the end of August, the Hilltoppers have worked through periods of individual instruction and team practices to prepare for the 2010 season.
"As the last couple of weeks of the fall came around, I was really pleased with the progress some of the young guys made," Finwood explained. "They really bought into the system and started to show what they can do. It gives us something to build on as we go into our offseason condition and individual instruction."
The Hilltoppers open the 2010 season at home on February 19 against Kent State.
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