The Seattle University baseball team began its annual fall intrasquad series last Sunday, as the Black team took the opening game of the three-game set against the Scarlet team at Meridian Park, 10-5.
For the Black team, Griffin Andreychuk (Nanaimo, B.C.) drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the third inning, followed by a two-run home run by Brock Carpenter (Milton, Wash.) off Scarlet start Grant Gunning (Snohomish, Wash.). The Black team added more offense off Gunning in the fourth inning when second baseman Curtis Perrin (Vancouver, Wash.) led off the inning with a single, stole second base and scored on an RBI double by Ted Hammond (Shoreline, Wash.).
The Scarlet team finally got to Black starter Jake Prizina (Sparks, Nev.) when Jeffrey Morgan (Auburn, Wash.) led off the top of the fifth inning with a drag bunt base hit and then scored on Chase Ridder’s (Lake Stevens, Wash.) two-run home run to close the gap to 4-2.
The Black team answered back in the bottom of the frame when Carpenter led off the inning with a double and then scored on an RBI double by catcher Michael McCann (Vancouver, Wash.). Jake Taylor (Boise, Idaho) singled, and then McCann scored on Hammond’s two-strike RBI double to the right field gap to make it 6-2.
Scarlet answered back again when Michael Ciancio (Kent, Wash.) led off the sixth with a drag bunt base hit off Black team reliever Hammond and score later in the inning on an RBI double by Connor Moore (West Richland, Wash.) to make it 6-3. Scarlet threatened in the seventh again when Sheldon Stober (Kent, Wash.) singled, Sean Sutton (Coeur d’Alene, Idaho) singled, and Ciancio drew a two-out walk to load the bases, but Zach Wolf (Dana Hills, Calif.) got Scarlet catcher Jack Reisinger (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) to fly out with the bases loaded to end the Scarlet rally.
Scarlet added one run in the top of the eighth inning when Morgan drove in Moore with an RBI double to close the gap to 6-4, but then the Black team added four runs in the bottom half against reliever Tyler Oldenberg (Boise, Idaho) to put the game out of reach. Only 2 of Oldenberg’s runs were earned as the Scarlet team had two errors in the inning.
Gunning took the loss for the Scarlet team after throwing just four innings, while giving up four runs on five hits, striking out three batters, and walking two in the defeat. Prizina picked up the win by going five innings and allowing just two runs on two hits and walking just one hitter while striking out five.
Hammond was named the game’s MVP for the Black team as he ended the day 3-for-4, reaching base all four times, with two RBIs and a double. Hammond also threw two innings, allowing one unearned run during his relief appearance.
Games two and three are scheduled for next Saturday, Oct. 17, and Sunday, Oct. 18. The field and start times for the contests will be based on weather conditions.