The second annual Scarlet-Black World Series, signifying the end of the Seattle University baseball fall season, has ended with the two teams splitting the first two games and the third game not being played because of weather and scheduling issues.
The Black Team rode the strong pitching of Seafth Howe to take a 1-0 lead in the 2010 Scarlet and Black World Series with a 10-1 victory. Howe threw a solid five innings, walking two, striking out five and only giving up one earned run. Blaine Jones, the starter for the Scarlet Team, got off to a shaky start, walking the first two batters of the game who both eventually scored without the Black Team even getting a hit in the opening frame.
The Scarlet Team answered back in the second inning. After a Steve Kirbach fly out, Nick Latta worked a one-out walk and Doug Kincaid stroked an RBI triple over the head of Cam Christian in right field. Howe walked Tyler Sustare to put runners on the corners but then struck out the next two batters to get out of the jam.
The third inning went scoreless, with both starting pitchers working quick three-up, three-down half of their innings. Howe again worked another quick fourth inning before his offense opened up for an explosive four-run fourth and four-run fifth inning. Michael Tevlin went 2-for-2 with two runs scored and two RBI in those two innings alone. Tevlin finished with three RBI on the day, while Bryndon Ecklund, Christian and Josh Kalalau each had two RBI themselves.
Arlo Evasick and the Scarlet bullpen, along with Cullen Hendrickson's bat, were able to even the Scarlet/Black Series to one game apiece with a 4-0 victory. Evasick pitched a solid 4 2/3 innings, only allowing one hit while striking out five; his only two walks came in his last inning where you could see his fatigue from being his highest pitch count of the fall. Bryan Dalton and Corey Mack came out of the pen to lock down the last 2 1/3 innings. The Scarlet pitchers did not let a base runner get past second base on the day.
Hendrickson started off the bottom of the first inning for the Scarlet with a leadoff triple, followed by a Steve Kirbach double to drive him in off Black starter Brandon Kizer. Kirbach was later driven home in the inning by an RBI single by Nick Latta, the two runs were all the Scarlet team would need. Hendrickson finished the day 3-for-3 with a triple, a double, single and a walk with one run scored and one RBI. Nick Latta contributed at the plate going two-for-two with an RBI and stealing two bases on the day.
The Black team did threaten at times but ended up stranding eight runners on base during the game, including four of those runners in scoring position.