MOREHEAD, Ky. - Trey Smith struck out seven over six innings and Ryan Connor lined the go-ahead home run to left field in the seventh inning as the Gold team won game four of the baseball Blood Bowl Series 2-1 Monday. The victory gave the Gold team a three games to one lead in the series.
The Blood Bowl is a best-of-five series the MSU baseball team puts on to end fall practice every year. The losing team donates blood to the Kentucky Blood Center.
“Our pitching was very dominant today. Trey came out and set the tone early. [Noah] Smallwood and [Cody] Gibson did a great job out of the pen going right after hitters. It seems that Ryan Conner has given us a big hit every time we have needed one this whole series," said Gold team coach Jason Neal. "His home run in the seventh to answer their run in the top of the inning was huge.”
MSU head coach Jay Sorg was impressed with his team's overall progress this fall.
“I am happy with the energy we have played with over the last three weeks. I have been impressed with the development in many of our players, especially the young guys. The pitching has improved tremendously. Overall it has been a great fall and we have accomplished much of what we needed to," Sorg said. "This is a great group and we are having a lot of fun together. Now we need to get back into the weight room and get these guys where we want them physically. We have some fine tuning to do with some of these guys' swings during the skill sessions. We have much to get done before the season but we are in-line in where we should be right now.”
The game was an old-fashioned pitcher's duel between Smith and Blue team starter Josh Schneider. Smith only allowed three hits in six innings while Schneider surrendered just two. The Gold team also got an inning and two-thirds from Smallwood as he was credited with the win. Gibson came in to pick up a save as he threw the final inning and a third with two strikeouts.
The Gold team scored an unearned run off Schneider in the third, but both teams went scoreless for the next three. In the top of the seventh, Bud Morton slapped a triple to lead for the Blue. He then scored the tying run via a wild pitch.
Connor, who was 2-for-2 and scored both of the Gold team runs, ripped a solo homer to left field for the game winner in the bottom of the inning. It was his third round-tripper of the series.
While the Gold team officially won the series already, the team will play one more intrasquad game on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Allen Field to wrap up full team activities for the offseason.
