MOBILE, Ala. -- The first five batters in the fifth inning all reached base safely, leading to five runs, as the Blue team cruised to a 6-2 victory over the Red team in South Alabama's Red and Blue Fall World Series Thursday night at Stanky Field. The Blue now leads the best-of-seven series 2-1 with games four and five scheduled for the weekend.
After taking a 1-0 lead in the fourth, the Blue team started the fifth with singles by Russell Harben, Ross Hewlett and Clint Reynolds to make the score 2-0. Clint Toomey then walked to load the bases before Bunky Kateon earned an RBI the hard way when he was hit by a pitch. Hewlett scored on a groundout, while Toomey capped the frame by coming home on a wild pitch.
For the third straight game, the Blue opened the scoring. Kateon doubled after a leadoff walk by Toomey to put runners on second and third. A Ryne Jernigan ground ball to shortstop Derek O'Reilly was mishandled, allowing the first run to score. The inning might have been bigger ,but Red starter Brandon Sage got out of a bases-loaded jam when Kateon was thrown out at the plate and Ryan McCrory struck out swinging.
The Red scored single runs in the next two innings, but never got any closer. Sean Laird drove in the first run when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make the score 6-1. Colby Cleckler came home on an RBI single by Raymond Kruml in the seventh.
Derek Hanks allowed just two hits over five innings to earn the victory for the Blue team. He struck out four and didn't surrender a walk. Luke Grissett struck out seven over the final three innings to pick up the save. Sage pitched effectively, as well, taking the loss despite allowing just one run and two hits.
Hewlett, Reynolds and David Doss each had two hits in the Blue's eight-hit attack, while Brett Uvodich had two of the Red team's six hits.
"Overall, our pitching was good tonight," Head Coach Steve Kittrell said. "In the end, one inning did the Red team in. We have got to swing the bats better as a team, but I think the pitching had a lot to do with that."
The series continues Saturday morning at 11 a.m. with game four, while game five is Sunday at 12:30 p.m. The latter contest features a time change that will allow fans to attend Jagfest at the Mitchell Center that afternoon.
