Baseball 11.01.11

Team Orange Wins Warhawk World Series Crown

MONTGOMERY, Ala. ---- After dropping the opening game of the series, Team Orange rallied to win four straight games and take the Warhawk World Series crown, as the Auburn University at Montgomery wrapped up its fall season in preparation for the upcoming 2012 season.

The Warhawk World Series was a best-of-seven series, pitting Team Orange coached by Graduate Assistant Clay Booth and Team Black coached by Associate Head Coach Marty Lovrich.

"Team Orange was really able to get the big hits and make key defensive stops when they needed it," Lovrich said. "Team Black made some careless mistakes and self-destructed in some key situations. Each team as able to use a lot of pitchers and the games stayed close, so we learned a good bit about our pitching staff. Overall, it was a good learning tool heading into the season."

Black took an early advantage in the series, taking the opening by a score of 2-0. Orange tied the series up with a 5-4 victory in 13 innings in game two, before taking the lead for good with a 7-3 win in game three. Orange went up three games to one with a 7-5 win in 10 innings and closed the series out with a 3-2 series clincher in game five.

The Black squad was led offensively by senior catcher Drew Walker and junior first baseman Adam Russell. Walker blasted three home runs in the five games and drove in a series-high six runs, while Russell added a pair of jacks and five runs batted in. Seniors Jorden Johnson and Brian Wheeler each finished with six hits.

On the mound, senior Andrew Morris struck out 13 in 12.0 innings pitched and posted a 2.25 earned run average. Junior Jordan Reid tossed 8.0 innings and also recorded a 2.25 ERA.

Senior Chezz McCann led Team Orange with a series-high eight hits and a .400 batting average. Junior Shane Turner finished with six hits, including three doubles and a triple, while seniors Hunter Cross and Michael Dugan each hit home runs.

Senior Wes Cook tossed a team-high 11.0 innings, allowing just four hits and two earned runs, while striking out 13. Fellow senior Cody Hall allowed two earned runs in 8 2/3 innings, striking out seven.

For the series, Team Black hit .213 and posted a 2.52 earned run average, while Team Orange recorded a .242 batting average and a 1.98 earned run average. Team Orange was the victim of several key errors in the series, allowing 22 total runs, only 11 of which were earned.

The Warhawks will open their 2012 campaign on Friday, Jan. 27, when they host Embry-Riddle at 1 p.m.

GAME 1 RECAP
Dugan drove in the only two runs of the game with a pair of RBI singles to give Team Black a 2-0 victory and 1-0 series lead. Cross finished the game 2-for-4 with a single and double. Cook earned the victory, tossing 3.0 innings of one-hit ball, while striking out five. Hall started the contest, tossing three scoreless innings. Junior Josh Dozier pitched a scoreless ninth inning to pick up the save. Reid took the loss, allowing just one run in 4.0 innings of work.

GAME 2 RECAP
Team Orange gutted out a 5-4 victory in 13 innings to even the series at one apiece. Wheeler drove in the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the 13th, on an infield single, scoring fellow senior Branden Kelley. Kelley started the scoring rally by reaching and advancing to second on a throwing error. Following walks to Johnson and senior Rusty Todd, Wheeler beat out a slow-rolling single between the pitcher's mound and shortstop to plate Kelley. Walker added a two-run homer in the contest for the Orange squad. Junior Jeff Van Fossen earned the victory, while junior Anthony Durant was the tough-luck loser.

GAME 3 RECAP
In a 7-3 victory, the most lopsided of the series, Team Orange again took advantage of sloppy defense to take the lead for good in the fourth inning. Wheeler laced a double and came around to score on a second double by Russell. With two outs, Russell scored the go-ahead run following an error by Team Black. Wheeler finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a RBI, while Russell added three hits and two runs scored. Reid was the winning pitcher, while senior Cory McGinnis took the loss.

GAME 4 RECAP
For the third time in four games, Team Black got on the scoreboard first, but it could not hold the lead, as Team Orange rallied for a 7-5 victory in 10 innings to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series. Russell had a pair of home runs, but again, an error proved to be the deciding play. In the top of the 10th, Johnson and Wheeler each with base hits, while Walker was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Russell followed by reaching on an error, allowing both Johnson and Wheeler to score. Van Fossen picked up his second win of the series, while senior Chris Allen took the loss. Fellow senior Colton Mathis tossed the final inning to earn the save.

GAME 5 RECAP
Walker homered twice and drove in all three runs as Team Orange won the game 3-2 and the series 4-1. Walker gave Orange the lead in the top of the second inning with a solo shot, but Dugan answered with a solo blast of his own to tie the score at 1-1 after two frames. In the fourth inning, Johnson led off with a double before coming around to score on a two-run bomb by Walker. Team Black cut the lead to 3-2 when senior Will Ruffin doubled and came round to score on an error, but was unable to get any closer. Morris picked up the victory, tossing 5.0 innings and allowing just two hits and two runs. Cook took the loss, while Reid earned the save to slam the door and clinch the series.

TEAM ORANGE ROSTER
Carson Amick
Wes Hughes
Jorden Johnson
Branden Kelley
Josh Kicklighter
Adam Russell
Rusty Todd
Kapono Thibodeaux
Drew Walker
Brian Wheeler
Bryan Young

Pitchers
Jordan Reid
Blake Woo
Andrew Morris
Tyler Dent
Jeff Van Fossen
Daniel Selph
Eran Franks
Daniel Farrar
Spencer Youmans
Colton Mathis

TEAM BLACK ROSTER
Hunter Cross

Sam Duffield
Michael Dugan
Anthony Durant
Chad Mansmann
Chezz McCann
Dustin Moon
Logan Remson
Mallan Sheffield
Shane Turner

Pitchers
Wes Cook
Cory McGinnis
Will Ruffin
Josh Dozier
Chris Barrentine
Forrest Holifield
Tanner Skelton
Chris Allen
Nathan Brown
Cody Hall

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