FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
Kyle Seager led the Blue team with four hits
CARY, N.C. – Kyle Seager and Greg Holt combined for seven hits, and Colin Bates and Bryant Gaines teamed up for eight shutout innings to lead the White squad to an 8-3 win and a series title in the finale of North Carolina’s Fall World Series Wednesday at Cary’s USA Baseball National Training Complex. After weather canceled Tuesday’s game, the White team captured what evolved into a best-of-five series, 3-2.
Seager, who was 4-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, and Holt, who was 3-for-5 with two runs and three RBI, paced the White squad to the largest offensive output of the series, eight runs on 13 hits. All three of Holt’s base hits were doubles.
Tarron Robinson and Ben Bunting each added two hits in Wednesday’s finale.
Bates went five shutout innings, striking out five, to pick up his second win of the FWS. He allowed just three hits and three walks and finished with series with 11 strikeouts over 10 2/3 scoreless frames. Gaines followed with three scoreless innings and six strikeouts of his own.
Sophomore right-hander Patrick Johnson went four innings for Blue, allowing one run on three hits and one walk. He struck out three before giving way to Adam Warren, who allowed four runs on six hits in three innings. Warren fanned six.
White grabbed a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Holt doubled down the left field line to score Seager from second. Seager started the rally with his second single of the afternoon and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch.
Seager and Holt hooked up again in the sixth to open a three-run inning for the White squad. Seager jump-started things with an infield single off Warren and scored when Holt doubled into the left-center gap. Back-to-back walks to Mark Fleury and Ryan Norton loaded the bases for Robinson, who singled through the right side for a 4-0 lead.
Seager’s fourth hit of the afternoon plated White’s fifth run in the seventh. Mike Cavasinni led off the inning with a double to left center and scored when Seager tripled to the wall in left center.
White put the game away with three more in the ninth. Ryan Graepel led off with a single and scored on Holt’s third double. Norton followed with a double to plate Holt and later swiped third and scored on a wild throw for an 8-0 lead.
Blue got on the board in the bottom of the ninth with three runs, two of which were unearned. After a walk to Brett Thomas, freshman Seth Baldwin tripled to right to plate Blue’s first run. A dropped fly ball to left allowed Baldwin to score and a second outfield error on a Landon Adams’ base hit let Michael Knox to score from second.
The Tar Heels open the 2009 season Feb. 20 against VMI at the brand new Bryson Field at Boshamer Stadium.
