MOBILE, Ala. - Brad Hammac's RBI single brought home Sean Laird with the eventual series-clinching run and the Blue team took game seven of the Red & Blue World Series, 8-6.
The Blue team held a 5-1 lead through four innings, but the Red team chipped into the lead and eventually tied the game at 6-6 in the top of the eighth. However, Hammac answered with his game-winning single in the bottom half of the inning, and the Blue team added an insurance run before Lance Brown worked a scoreless ninth to end the series.
Game seven began Thursday at 4 p.m., but rain forced the teams off the field and play was suspended until 2 p.m. Friday. The teams resumed with one out in the top of the second inning and the home Blue team leading 3-1.
When play resumed, Blue team starting pitcher Lance Baxter was replaced by Garrett Harris and Red team starter D.D. Hanks turned the game over to Jarrett Bailey.
Harris got out of the top of the second with a pair of flyouts, and the Blue team added to its lead with a run in the bottom half of the inning. Brad Hook led off with a single and Hunt Griffith doubled to put a pair of runners in scoring position with no outs.
Taylor White's sacrifice fly put the Blue team on top 4-1, but Bailey escaped without further damage after Griffith was thrown out attempting to steal third base and Clint Reynolds grounded out.
Harris worked around a leadoff double from Dominic Diaz in a scoreless top of the third, and Bailey answered with a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom half.
Brent Mitchell led off the top of the fourth with a single, but he was quickly erased after a groundball double play, and Harris got another grounder to hold the Red team scoreless for a third consecutive inning.
A pair of free bases helped the Blue squad add another run to its lead in the bottom of the fourth. Brad Hammac drew a leadoff walk and Stuart Barton was hit by a pitch, putting two on with none out. Hook advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt, and Griffith brought Hammac home with a sacrifice fly, giving the Blue team a 5-1 lead.
The Red team finally got on the board against Harris in the top of the fifth after the first four batters reached base safely. Nathaniel Lami, Diaz and Adam Heisler singled, plating the first run, then Harris hit Tyler Vick with a pitch to load the bases. The Blue defense conceded a run as it turned a double play, but Nolan Earley cut the deficit to one with a two-out RBI single. After hitting another batter, Harris got out of the inning still holding a 5-4 lead with a strikeout of Brittian Schultz.
Bailey worked a quick 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fifth, then Harris turned the ball over to Michael Raia, who worked a three up, three down top of the sixth.
Bailey allowed two runs on two hits with one walk and one strikeout in four innings, while Harris allowed three runs on six hits in 3.2 innings of relief.
Carlton Paris came on in relief of Bailey to start the bottom of the sixth, and he fell victim to a pair of errors that led to an unearned run. Sean Laird and Stuart Barton reached on errors, then Laird came home on the back end of a double steal. Paris got the next two outs to send the game to the seventh with his Red team trailing 6-4.
Raia again set the Red team down in order in the top of the seventh, but Paris answered with by doing the same in the bottom half of the inning, and the Red team finally broke through with a pair of runs to tie the game in the top of the eighth.
Brent Mitchell singled and Brittian Schultz walked with one out, but Raia got Kyle Dees to fly out for the second out. With Lami batting, both runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, and Lami knocked a two-run double down the left-field line on a 3-2 pitch. Lami's double tied the game at 6-6 and brought Brown on in relief of Raia.
Lami advanced to third on a passed ball, but Brown ended the inning by striking out Diaz, and his Blue team quickly retook the lead with a pair of runs off Paris in the bottom half of the inning.
Jake Overstreet led off with a single, but he was thrown out attempting to steal second base by Brent Tanner. Sean Laird followed with a double to deep center field that likely would've scored Overstreet from first, but the Blue team still got on the board when Hammac singled up the middle and Laird scored on a close play at the plate.
Hammac's single brought Phillip Byrd on in relief of Paris, who took the loss after allowing three runs - two of which were earned - on three hits in 2.1 innings. Brown earned the victory with 1.1 shutout innings.
Brown returned to the mound to try to get the last three outs of the series, but the Red team made it interesting. Heisler led off with a single, and Vick went ahead 3-0 before Brown battled back to strike him out for the first out. Tanner hit a liner to center field for the second out, and Earley grounded out to second to end the series.
The Blue team won the game despite being out-hit 12-8. Hook had the only multi-hit game for the winning team, as he went 2-for-3 with a run and a RBI. Heisler led the Red team, going 3-for-5 with one run, one RBI and a stolen base. Lami, Diaz and Mitchell also had two hits apiece.
Reynolds' .500 batting average was the best of the seven-game series. He also doubled six times, collected eight RBI and scored 14 runs - three more than anyone else on either team. Overstreet hit .444 with a home run and 10 RBI, while Zach Grichor and Stuart Barton hit .429 and .417, respectively for the Blue team.
Heisler led the Red team with a .444 batting average, 11 runs and four steals. He also doubled three times and drove in eight runs. Earley hit .429 to lead all newcomers to the Jag program, and Lami batted .424 and scored nine times.
Lance Baxter posted the best numbers on the mound. In four appearances - three of which were starts - he worked 10.2 innings, allowed only five hits, struck out eight and notched a 1.69 ERA.
South Alabama opens the 2010 baseball season at Stanky Field on Feb. 19.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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