LEXINGTON, Ky. — Freshman Dallen Reber belted a three-run home run and sophomore catcher Luke Maile totaled two hits and two RBI, leading the blue team to an 8-3 win over the black squad, in game two of the Kentucky baseball Fall World Series, held Friday afternoon at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
Reber, Maile and Chad Wright highlighted the offensive performances for the blue team, with Reber totaling the three-run homer, Maile collecting two hits and two RBI and Wright, a native of Paducah, Ky., drawing a walk and laying down bunt singles on both the first and third base lines. Freshman J.T. Riddle also added a two-run home run the bottom of the sixth inning.
On the mound, junior right-hander Braden Kapteyn, a 2010 Cape Cod League summer all-star, closed out the game for the blue with three dominating innings in relief, striking out six and allowing only one hit.
The black team had a chance to score a run in the top of the first inning, as senior Neiko Johnson led off with a hard-hit single up the middle, moving to second on a sacrifice bunt and stealing third with one out. Thomas McCarthy then flied out to senior rightfielder Mike Kaczmarek, who threw a laser to get Johnson attempting to tag up from third to end the inning.
In the bottom of the first, the blue team took a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs. Kaczmarek led off the inning with a double off the wall in deep centerfield and Wright drew a walk. Maile, the 2009 Kentucky High School Mr. Baseball, then pounded a single off the rightfield wall, loading the bases for Sam Kidd with two outs. Kidd hit a roller to Reber at first base, who bobbled it, allowing Kaczmarek to score the first run of the game, with Maile scoring on a wild pitch to give the blue team an early lead.
The black team regained the lead in the top of the second, as Michael Williams blooped a double off the chalk down the rightfield line, moving to third on a throwing error. Micheal Thomas then got hit by a pitch to bring up Reber. Reber, a native of St. George, Utah, belted a no-doubt blast over the leftfield fence, giving the black team a 3-2 lead.
The blue team took control in the bottom of the third, as Kaczmarek singled to centerfield and Wright laid a perfect bunt single down the third base line. Kidd then beat out a bunt single down the third base line and Maile belted a two-RBI double into deep centerfield. Braden Kapteyn added the third RBI of the inning with a sacrifice fly.
In the bottom of the fourth, the blue team added to its lead, as freshman infielder Matt Reida tripled off the 30-foot wall in rightfield, scoring on freshman Thomas Bernal’s sacrifice fly to the opposite field. Freshman J.T. Riddle, a native of Frankfort, Ky., followed and beat out a drag bunt with a headfirst slide but the inning ended with nicely turned 4-6-3 double play.
Several pitchers were used in the game, including sophomore southpaw Taylor Rogers and freshman right-hander Trevor Gott, a Lexington, Ky., native and graduate of Tates Creek, to start the game. Alex Phillips and Kapteyn were used in relief, with Kapteyn tossing the final three innings to seal the game for the blue with five strikeouts and one runner picked off. On the bases, Johnson and Kidd each totaled stolen bags. In 19 starts as a junior, Johnson, a native of Stone Mountain, Ga., swiped 24-of-25 bases.
The blue team got on the board with two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Bernal singled up the middle with two outs and Riddle belted a two-run homer over the rightfield fence.
