Gray Squanders Lead, Comes Back to Tie Scarlet – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/9/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Oct. 9, 2006
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Gray team squandered a 5-4 lead as Scarlet scored four runs the top of the seventh inning, but in the bottom of the inning Gray scored three runs to salvage an 8-8 tie in the opening game of the annual Scarlet and Gray World Series Monday at Bill Davis Stadium.
The one-run Gray lead evaporated in the seventh, mostly in part to four walks by Scarlet pitching in the inning. Brad Hays (Fr., Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic) issued the first walk by either pitching staff to Matt Curran (Fr., Wormleysburg, Pa./Cedar Cliff) to start the inning. Tony Kennedy (Jr., Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington South) reached on a fielder’s choice, but the quick-moving Curran was able to beat the throw to second before he stole third. Then with one out, Eric Fryer (Jr., Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Reynoldsburg) doubled over the centerfielder’s head to give Scarlet a one-run lead, 6-5.
With two out, Ben Toussant (Fr., Upper Arlington, Ohio/Upper Arlington) doubled down the left-field line to plate Fryer for a 7-5 lead. Hays walked Zach Hurley (Fr., Springboro, Ohio/Springboro) before Dean Wolosiansky (Fr., Uniontown, Ohio/Green) came into the game. He walked the bases loaded before walking in Toussant for the eighth run.
Scarlet, which at one point had built a 5-1 lead, was not done, getting three runs in the bottom of the inning to force a tie. Back-to-back one-out singles by Cory Rupert (Fr., Mansfield, Ohio/Mansfield Madison) and J.B. Shuck (So., Galion, Ohio/Galion) put two on for Ryan Dew (Fr., Croton, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne), who singled up the middle to score Rupert. Shuck went to third on a fielder’s choice by Justin Miller (So., Dayton, Va./Turner Ashby) and scored on a single by Brian DeLucia (Fr., Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Watterson). A single to shallow center by Kris Moorman (Sr., St. Henry, Ohio/St. Henry) scored pinch runner Brad Brookbank (Fr., Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Xavier) to tie the game.
“People will say there is no tying in baseball, but to save pitching for the rest of the week, we knew we would not play more than seven innings today no matter what the situation might have been,” head coach Bob Todd said.
Gray gave up a two-out hit in the top of the first inning, but got a fly out to keep the run from scoring. Rupert beat out an infield single with one out and went to second when Shuck singled through the right side. Both runners moved up on a ground out by Dew and then scored on a double to the gap in right-center field by Miller.
Scarlet came through with another two-out hit in the second, a double by Michael Arp (So., Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Reynoldsburg), he was left there after a fly out ended the inning.
Gray got another hit in the third from Matt Angle (Jr., Whitehall, Ohio/Whitehall-Yearling) and then another two hits in the fourth, though neither run scored. Facing his older brother, 2006 10-game winner Dan DeLucia (Sr., Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Watterson), Brian DeLucia nubbed a ball down the third base line for a hit. He went to third on a single through the left side by Adam Schneider (Sr., Agoura Hills, Calif./Agoura), but was thrown out trying to steal third for the third out.
Scarlet scored its first run of the game on a solo home run by Hurley. Arp followed with his second double, but could not move up a base thanks to three fly outs.
Gray added three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to build a 5-1 lead. Warren Sizemore (Sr., Cincinnati, Ohio/Ross/Georgetown Univ.) came into the game in place of Dan DeLucia and gave up a bunt single by Cory Kovanda (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne). Kovanda moved up to third on a pair of ground outs and then scored on a double to right-center field by Shuck. Dew followed with a two-run home to extend the lead to four runs.
Scarlet got three runs back in the top of the sixth. Jonathan Zizzo (Jr., Youngstown, Ohio/Sarasota [Fla.]) led off the inning with a triple to the wall in right-center field. After Fryer was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners, Jason Zoeller (Sr., Verona, Pa./Shady Side Academy) scored Zizzo with a single through the left side. Toussant singled to center to load the bases for Hurley. Hurley sacrificed himself with a fly out to center to score Fryer, but an errant throw by Angle allowed Zoeller to score from second and pull Scarlet within one run, 5-4.
Brian DeLucia led all hitters in going 3-for-4 with one RBI for the Gray, while Dew drove in three runs with his two hits. Rupert and Shuck also had a pair of hits for the Gray. Fryer was 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored to help pace Scarlet. Toussant and Arp also had two hits.
Dan DeLucia, the starter for the Scarlet team, allowed two runs on six hits in four innings, while Josh Barrera (So., Somerset, Ohio/Sheridan), the starter for the Gray team, lasted five innings. He allowed one run on four hits. Gray out-hit Scarlet, 14-9. Each team had one error.
The best-of-five series continues Tuesday with another seven-inning game at 3:30 p.m. and is scheduled to conclude Wednesday night at 6:35 p.m. The Buckeye Diamond Club will be tailgating in the parking lot prior to the game Wednesday.
Remaining Scarlet & Gray World Series Schedule Game Two – Tues., Oct. 10 at 3:30 p.m. Game Three – Wed., Oct. 11 at 6:30 p.m. Game Four * – Thursday, Oct. 12 at 3 p.m. Game Five * – Friday, Oct. 13 at 3 p.m. * if necessary
