Scarlet Takes World Series With Extra-Inning Win – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/16/1998 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
October 16, 1998
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Scarlet squad won the World Series 3-1-1 with a thrilling 9-7, 10-inning win over the Gray squad this afternoon at Bill Davis Stadium.
The game was tied at 7-7 in the top of the 10th inning when Chris Alvord (So., Mentor, Ohio) belted a two-run home run to left field off losing pitcher Justin Fry (Sr., Munhall, Pa.). Cory Cox (So., Chillicothe, Ohio) pitched five innings of relief for the Scarlet to pick up the win and Kurt Fullenkamp (Sr., Minster, Ohio) struck out the side in the 10th for the save.
After Scarlet grabbed an early 1-0 lead, the Gray squad jumped ahead 2-1 on a two-run home run to centerfield by Matt Middleton (Sr., Powell, Ohio).
The Gray added to their lead in the fifth inning on a long home run by first baseman Marcello Garofalo (Jr., Columbus, Ohio), but the Scarlet came back strong in the sixth inning when they sent 11 men to plate and scored six runs. Joe Palazzo (Fr., Tuscon, Ariz.) had the big hit of the inning, a bases loaded ground-rule double that made the score 7-3.
Trailing 7-5 in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Gray squad promptly loaded the bases with nobody out. After John Mayor (So., Chesterfield, Mo.) hit a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to one, Matthew Bernstein (Fr., Agoura, Calif.) lined a base hit into right-centerfield which scored one run to tie the game, but Brian DiBacco (Fr., Warren, Ohio) was thrown out at the plate in an attempt to score the winning run. Scarlet was able to get out of the inning without any more runs scoring, setting the stage for Alvord’s heroics.
