Purple wraps up fall series with 6-2 victory
10/28/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Oct. 28, 2007
FORT WORTH, Texas - The Purple squad capped off the final game of the Purple-White World Series with a 6-2 victory over the White team. Five runs in its last two at-bats erased a 2-1 deficit and helped get the team its second win in the series. Matt Vern was 2-for-3 with two RBIs to help lead the team to victory. Freshman Relly Mercurio finished with three hits and two RBIs.The White team looked like it was going to pick up where it left off on Saturday as it picked up two runs before any outs were recorded. Matt Carpenter led off with a base hit and moved to second after Ben Carruthers was hit by an Eric Marshall offering. Aaron Schultz followed with a bases clearing double to give the White squad a 2-0 lead. Marshall settled down and retired the next three batters to get out of the inning without allowing anymore runs.
Greg Holle was dominating in his second start of the series as he kept the Purple squad off balance. Despite allowing runners in three of the five innings he pitched, Holle was able to get out of the most jams. Purple touched him for one run in the third inning as it took advantage of a lead-off single from Clint Arnold. Two stolen bases later, Arnold was on third where he scored on a Vern single up the middle.
The Purple squad avoided disaster in the fourth inning as they cut down a run at the plate. Medlin reached on a two-base error and moved to third on a Jimmie Pharr groundout. With the infield drawn in, Eric Givens hit the ball right at Corey Steglich who threw home to erase the run at the plate.
Again, the Purple squad escaped without allowing a run in the sixth inning as the White squad loaded the bases with no outs. Relief pitcher Collin Auten stuck out the next two batters looking and got a ground ball out to keep it a 2-1 White lead.
Purple finally got over the hump in the seventh as it plated two runs to take a 3-2 lead. Mercurio led off with a bunt single. An error on a sacrifice attempt from Janson Carriker put two on with nobody out. A passed ball moved both runners up 90 feet and Arnold tied the game with a sacrifice fly. Bryan Kervin followed with a single to put runners on the corner and a Vern sacrifice fly gave Purple the lead.
Three more runs crossed the plate for Purple in the eighth as they opened up a 6-2 lead. All three runs were unearned and scored with two outs. Steve Ellington reached on an error and Zac Jordan worked a walk to put two on. Mercurio drove them home with a triple down the right field line and scored on a Carriker base hit.
Gabe Sandersius took the tough-luck loss after allowing two unearned runs on three hits in two innings of work. Holle surrendered just one run on five hits in five innings of work for the White squad.
Purple got outstanding pitching from Marshall, Auten and Trent Appleby. Marshall went four innings, allowing two runs on four hits. Auten surrendered just two hits and struck out two in two innings of work. Appleby worked three scoreless innings to earn the win. He struck out three and walked one.
The game concluded a 33-practice fall season for the Frogs.
