Gold Wins Game 1 of Blue/Gold World Series 7-3

Small ball won the game for the Gold (Ohio) team Monday afternoon at the SHU Baseball field. Josh Miranda led the way for the Gold going 3-5 with a double and two RBI.

“I am very pleased with the way we played today,” Miranda said. “We had a game plan and stuck to it. It’s always good to win the first game and hopefully it can lead to a sweep.”

The game started with both sides having scoring opportunities in the first inning. Jose Paez reached on an error to start the game for the Blue team. However, the Gold starting pitcher Brian Risk was able to work out of the jam.

In the bottom of the first, Miranda reached on a base hit but was thrown out trying to advance to third by Mark Pauwels on a Josh White single.  Blue starting pitcher Jason Ryczek was also able to work out of a jam with no damage done.

In the second innings, the Blue team was able to strike first. Due to a mistake on the line-up card, Ryczek had to hit for himself and came through with a base hit through the right side. Courtesy runner Jon Samenauer was able to reach second on a passed ball and later scored on a Ryan Popma single. Risk was pulled after a walk to Andy Maloney and Brett Kuebler came in to replace Risk on the mound. Kuebler was able to get the first two batters he faced but gave up a single to Paez scoring both runners and giving the Blue team a 3-0 lead.

The Gold team managed to get a run back in the bottom of the second when catcher Jack Mackinnon was walked and scored on a Kenny Sutter single. At the end of two, the Blue team was up 3-1.

Kuebler was able to retire the Blue hitters in the top of the third which led to the Gold team’s breakout inning.

Johnny Lyszczyk led off the inning with a walk and scored on a Miranda double. Ryczek then hit White and gave up an infield bunt single to Justin Root. An error by Popma led to Lyszczyk and White scoring. Brent Miranda then reached on another bunt single. Sutter hit into a fielder’s choice which scored Root and the Gold’s scoring for the inning. Gold took a 5-3 lead going into the fourth inning.

In the fourth inning, Kuebler managed to get the first two batters but got into a bases loaded jam but got David Wynkoop to fly out to right field to end the threat.

Tony Flagg replaced Ryczek in the bottom of the fourth. BJ Salazar was able to reach on a Flagg throwing error and later scored on a passed ball increasing the lead for the Gold team 6-3.

Corey Alexander replaced Kuebler in the top of the fifth and was lights out. Alexander was able to locate his blistering fastball and occasionally mixed in his off-speed stuff in his three shut-out innings of work.

After a shaky first innings, Flagg settled in and held the Gold team scoreless the next two innings before giving way to Jake Sperry in the bottom of the eighth in which the Gold tacked on another run on another Miranda single.

Derek Chaffins threw the final two innings for the Gold team picking up the save. Kuebler picked up the win for the Gold while Ryczek took the loss for the Blue.

Miranda led the way for the Gold by going 3-5 with a double and two RBI. Kenny Sutter added an RBI single to the Gold team as well.

Paez led the Blue team with a 2-5 day with two RBI.