The University of Akron Athletics
Gold Takes First Game of Fall World Series
October 08 | Baseball
The Gold team scored five times in the first three innings to
power its way to a 6-4 victory over the Blue team in the first game
of the annual UA baseball Fall World Series Monday afternoon at Lee
Jackson Field. The best-of-five intrasquad series continues with
game two Tuesday starting at 2:30 p.m.
Sophomore starting pitcher Zach Yike
(Kettering, Ohio/Kettering Fairmont) picked up the win for the Gold
team while junior Frank Turocy (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) was
charged with the loss. Yike allowed just three hits through the
first four innings and struck out the side in the fourth.
Sophomore Kevin Bleil (Uniontown, Ohio/South Fayette [Pa.])
pitched the final two frames of the seven-inning contest to record
the save. Bleil, who entered the game with a two-run lead in the
sixth, struck out his first two batters and faced just one over the
minimum to close out the game.
Sophomore Kevin Haas (North Olmstead, Ohio/St. Ignatius)
led the Gold team's offensive attack with two singles in three
at-bats, a stolen base and two runs scored. Teammate Vince
Chiera (Akron, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) was 2-for-4 with a run
scored.
Three singles, a fielding error and a wild pitch staked the Gold
team to a 3-0 start in the first inning. The Blue team came back
with a pair of scores in the second thanks to an RBI single by
redshirt freshman Brandon White (Wheelersburg,
Ohio/Wheelersburg/Kent St.) that plated Kyle
Hallett (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg) and a ground out by
Lawrence Penn (Ann Arbor, Mich./Ann Arbor Huron)
that brought home Nick Solitario (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth).
The Gold team answered with a pair of runs in the third and added
another in the fourth to take a 6-2 lead on a pair of wild pitches
and a run-scoring single by freshman Dan
Burant (Brecksville, Ohio/Brecksville-Broadview Heights).
Two runs in the fifth inning by the Blue team made it interesting
however. Junior Phil Bednar (Monroe Fall, Ohio/Stow/Ball St.) led
off with a single and moved to third base on a double off the
center-field wall by Doug McNulty (Homer City,
Pa./Homer-Center). Brian Kordal (Twinsburg, Ohio/Twinsburg) followed
with a base hit up the middle that scored Bednar and Hallett
grounded out to plate McNulty.
Redshirt freshman James Podgorney (Johnstown, Pa./Bishop McCort)
pitched a scoreless seventh inning for the Blue team in relief of
Turocy.
The Blue and Gold teams will be back at it again Tuesday afternoon
with game two of the best-of-five game series. First pitch is
scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at Lee Jackson Field.
UA Baseball Fall World Series
Game 1: Gold 6, Blue 4
Game 2: Tues., Lee Jackson Field, 2:30 p.m.
Game 3: Wed., Lee Jackson Field, 2:30 p.m.
Game 4*: Thurs., Lee Jackson Field, 2:30 p.m.
Game 5*: Fri., Lee Jackson Field, 2:30 p.m.
* if necessary
Series: Gold leads Blue, 1-0.
