10/23/2001 - Baseball
Blue-Gold Tied in Intrasquad World Series
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ANNAPOLIS, Md. - In the first two games of annual Navy Blue-Gold Intrasquad World Series, the two teams split the first-two games over the weekend at Max Bishop Stadium. The Blue squad captured a 7-4 victory in the opener, while the Gold squad bounced back with an 8-7 comeback win.
In game one, the Blue team scored six runs in the top of the fifth en route to the win.
Gold starter Andy Froistad cruised through the first-three innings before surrendering a solo home run to third baseman Jake Miller in the top of the fourth inning. Miller hit a towering drive over the left field wall on Froistad's first offering to give the Blue a 1-0 lead.
In the top of the fifth, Justin Jackson singled to lead off the inning for the Blue team and Brian Whitten followed with a bunt single. Following a Dean Farmer sacrifice bunt, Jackson was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice by Neil Brubeck. Ted Hart's one-out single scored Whitten to make it 2-0. Froistad walked Miller to load the bases, and Dominic Nicolini singled home Brubeck and Hart. Matt Lukevics knocked in Miller and Nicolini with a base hit to keep the inning alive. Trey Hargove's single scored Lukevics to push the Blue lead to 7-0.
The Gold team answered in the bottom of the fifth. Blue starting pitcher Mitch Eliason walked Mike Lowery and gave up back-to-back singles to Pete Curnow and John Cocca to load the bases. After Eliason struck out Todd McKinney for the first out of the inning, catcher Chris Pandy threw the ball into right field trying to pick off Cocca at first and Lowery scored to put the Gold on the board. David Woolsey followed with a single, scoring Curnow and Matt Foster singled to score Cocca and Woolsey, as Gold cut the lead to 7-4. Jeff Lange then came in to relieve Eliason and recorded two fly outs to end the inning.
Miller and Nicolini recorded two RBI's apiece for the Blue squad, while Whitten and Nicolini both had two hits. Eliason picked up the win, tossing four and a third innings, while allowing four earned runs with a strikeout. Lange worked two and two thirds scoreless innings to earn the save.
In the second game, Jason Guidos' walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning capped a four-run inning for the Gold, as they came from behind to earn a 8-7 win.
Trailing 7-4 entering the seventh inning, Gold team captain David Woolsey tripled off reliever Luke Dreyer to score Cocca, who walked to lead off the inning. In an attempt to throw Woolsey out at third, Dean Farmer's relay throw hit Woolsey in the back and sailed into the dugout, resulting in Woolsey being awarded home plate to cut the lead to 7-6. Left-hander Steve Goocey came in to relieve Dreyer and forced Foster to ground out to first for the first out. Goocey then hit the next batter, Mike Lowery, putting the tying run at first. After Lowery stole second, Goocey struck out Brad Hager for the second out. Todd McKinney drew a two-out walk and both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Gold pinch hitter Will Mahan came to the plate and roped a single to center, scoring Lowery to tie the game, 7-7. Following a walk to Pete Curnow to load the bases, Guidos singled to left center, giving the Gold squad the victory to even the series.
The Gold squad jumped out to a 4-0 lead by taking advantage of Blue mistakes. Woolsey singled home Guidos in the first inning and later scored on a wild pitch. In the third, Gold scored two runs, the first courtesy of an error, walk, and wild pitch, and the second when McKinney doubled to right center plating another.
Blue, however, would play for the big inning, much like they did in the opener. Blue loaded the bases with nobody out on singles by Hart, Brubeck and Jake Miller. After Dominic Nicolini's sacrifice fly scored Hart, Matt Lukevics grounded out scoring Brubeck. Trey Hargrove walked with two outs and Justin Jackson lined a double to left, scoring Miller and Hargrove. Whitten followed with another double to score Jackson, giving Blue a 5-4 lead.
Blue would add an insurance run in the fifth, taking advantage of a walk, hit by pitch, an error, and a wild pitch. They scored another in the seventh when Brubeck led off the inning with a single and Miller tripled him home for a 7-4 lead.
Gold reliever Zack Poelma picked up the win, tossing the final two innings with three strikeouts. Woolsey came up big for the Gold squad with two hits, two RBI's and three runs scored. Goocey took the loss for Blue, who was paced on offense by Miller's three hits.
