Nov. 2, 2012
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LEXINGTON, Ky. — Sophomore southpaw A.J. Reed tossed four innings in a winning effort on the mound and went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead Blue to a 6-2 win over White in the opener of the 2012 Kentucky Baseball Fall World Series, on a gorgeous Friday afternoon at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
A native of Terre Haute, Ind., Reed shined for Blue in the win, with the four-inning pitching outing and the three hits at the plate. Blue was led at the plate by Reed, also getting hits from Lucas Witt, Zach Arnold, Zack Storm, Andrew Bryant and Kyle Barrett. Barrett had a triple and two RBI, with Witt, Reed and Matt Reida adding RBI.
The White team was led by a 3-for-3, one RBI game from catcher Greg Fettes. Max Kuhn added a leadoff double in the second inning, with Austin Cousino, Zac Zellers and Jeff Boehm each drawing walks.
Senior southpaw Jerad Grundy started for the White team, working 4.1 innings, allowing one hit and one run. The Johnsburg, Ill., native didn’t issue a walk and struck out seven, plunking Dorian Hairston with one out in the fifth inning to end his outing. Freshman right-hander Zach Strecker replaced Grundy, working 0.2 innings and allowing three runs on four hits and a walk. Freshman 6-foot-7 right-hander Matt Pope took over to start the sixth, working the final two innings, allowing three hits and two runs, striking out five.
Reed worked four innings, allowing three hits and two runs – one earned – walking one and striking out two in the win. Senior Walter Wijas, a Blue co-captain, replaced Reed, tossing the final three shutout innings for the save, allowing one hit and walking two, striking out four.
The series will resume at 9:45 a.m. ET on Saturday morning at Cliff Hagan Stadium. Junior southpaw Corey Littrell, a 2012 All-Southeastern Conference selection, will start for Blue, with White turning to sophomore righty Chandler Shepherd, who is coming off a first-team All-America summer in the Perfect Game Collegiate League.
White took a two-run lead in the bottom of the second inning, getting two hits and taking advantage of a Blue error. Kuhn led off with double laced into the left-centerfield gap. After Paul McConkey struck out swinging, Boehm drew a full-count walk. Fettes then lined a single up the middle to score Kuhn. After a Jacob Russell pop up, Casey Schroeder rolled a grounder to the left side of the infield, with it going as an error and allowing Boehm to score from second for a 2-0 lead.
In the top of the fifth inning, Blue got a one-out rally, sparked by a hit by pitch from Hairston. After Blue turned to the bullpen, Zach Arnold lofted a single down the rightfield line, moving Hairston to third base. With Zack Storm at the plate, Hairston scored on a wild pitch, with Arnold moving to third on Storm’s single through the right side. Kyle Barrett then hung a sacrifice fly down the leftfield line to score Arnold and bring up Witt with the top of the order. Witt chopped a single into the hole on the left side of the infield, with White shortstop, Kuhn, fielding on the run and trying to throw to the plate to get an aggressively running Storm. Kuhn’s throw and the Fettes tag was just late, as Storm slide in under the tag for the go-ahead run. After a Reida walk, Reed hit a missile on a 3-0 count to J.T. Riddle at second base, going as an RBI knock.
Blue added a run in the seventh inning, as pinch-hitter Bryant singled through the left side to lead off. With Cousino playing shallow in centerfield, Barrett smacked a triple to the track in center, scoring Bryant from first base. Reida then scored Barrett with a deep fly out to centerfield.
