The University of Akron Athletics
Gold Completes Sweep of Blue in World Series
October 12 | Baseball
The Gold Team completed the three-game sweep of the Blue with an
8-7 victory on a frosty Thursday afternoon at Lee Jackson
Field.
The win brought the University of Akron baseball's Fall World
Series to a close and guaranteed a steak dinner for the members of
the triumphant Gold Team while the Blue Team will be treated to hot
dogs. The Gold Team won Monday's opener 2-1 and Tuesday's match-up
9-8 in eight innings.
Freshman
Benjamin Danziger
(Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights), who was the victim of
two fielding errors that led to four unearned runs, picked up the
win for the Golf with four solid innings. Freshman Zachary Yike
(Kettering, Ohio/Kettering Fairmont) was charged with the loss
after allowing seven runs in three innings.
With runners on first and second and one out, sophomore Ryan
Romick (Hannibal, Ohio/Hannibal River) struck out the final two
batters to earn his second save of the best-of-five game
series.
Junior outfielder
Scott Gunn (Toledo,
Ohio/St. Francis) drove in three runs and sophomore
Brett Savage (Massillon,
Ohio/Perry) doubled twice and drove in pair to fuel the Gold
offense. Freshman
Keene Marstrell (Dover,
Ohio/Dover) also had a big day for the Gold with a perfect 3-for-3
day at the plate.
A two-run single by Gunn in the first inning gave the Gold Team an
early edge and a three-run third pushed the lead to 5-0. Savage led
off the big inning with double, moved to third on an error and came
around to score on a ground out by sophomore
Ryan Frazee (Gahanna,
Ohio/Westerville North). After a walk to Gunn, freshman
Brian Kordal (Twinsburg,
Ohio/Twinsburg) drove the ball into the left-field gap to make it
4-0 and crossed the plate on a single by Marstrell.
A pair of fielding errors opened the door to four unearned runs in
the Blue Team's fourth inning that cut the lead to 5-4 but the Gold
came right back with two runs in the home half, keyed by a
run-scoring double by Savage. A ground-out by Savage in the
following inning gave Gold an 8-4 lead and just like in game two
Blue mounted a late rally that fell just short.
A wild pitch by freshman reliever
Kevin Kumazec (Euclid,
Ohio/St. Ignatius) and an RBI-single by sophomore
Jordan Tufts (Sagamore
Hills, Ohio/Nordonia) pulled the Blue to within two runs, 8-6, and
a ground out by sophomore
Jeremy Goldizen (Perry,
Ohio/Perry) trimmed the lead to one. But for the second time in
three games, Romick closed the door to preserve the Gold
victory.
For the three-game series, the Gold Team out-hit the Blue,
.326-.270 and out-scored their counterparts, 19-16. Led by two
strong starting performances by Danizger and red-shirt freshman
Steven Zamanek (Euclid, Ohio/Villa Angela-St.Joseph), the Gold Team
owned the ERA edge as well, 4.50-7.65.
Blue and Gold Fall World Series Results:
Game One, Gold 2, Blue 1
Game Two, Gold 9, Blue 8 (8 inn.)
Game Three, Gold 8, Blue 7
All games played at Lee Jackson Field.
Gold wins series 3-0.
