Ballowe, London Lead Gold To Series-Clinching Win
October 27, 2015 | Baseball
**Game 4 of the Purple & Gold World Series originally scheduled for Tuesday has been CANCELLED**
SEATTLE – Starting pitcher Will Ballowe struck out six batters and did not allow a hit in four innings of work, setting the tone for the Gold squad as they shutout the Purple team, 4-0, Monday at Husky Ballpark. The seven-inning win clinched the Purple and Gold World Series for the Gold team, which holds an insurmountable 3-0 lead.
Ballowe faced the minimum 12 batters, allowing just a one-out walk in the fourth inning to Jack Meggs. Meggs was eventually erased trying to steal second base.
Ballowe has struck out 10 in 5 1/3 hitless and scoreless innings of work in two Purple and Gold World Series appearances.
The offense provided Ballowe with all the cushion he would need, scoring twice in the second inning. Freshman catcher Willie MacIver was hit by a pitch with one out and Slate Miller followed with a sharp single up the middle. After a fly out moved MacIver to third, both runners advanced on a wild pitch from starter Ryan Schmitten, making the score 1-0. Kyle London followed with a double off reliever Alex Hardy, scoring Miller from second.
Gold added to its lead in the fourth, scoring two more times to make it 4-0. Miller hit a sacrifice fly to left-center and London drove in his second run of the game with an infield single that went off shortstop Chris Baker's glove, allowing MacIver to hustle all the way around from second to score.
The Gold squad banged out six hits, while the Purple team collected two. Baker led off the top of the sixth with a sharp single to left off Toby Dunlap for the first Purple hit of the game. Dunlap pitched two innings of one-hit relief, while Alex Nesbitt allowed a double to Meggs in the seventh for the only other hit.
London led the offensive charge for Gold, going 2 for 4 at the plate with 2 RBI and a stolen base. Josh Cushing, Miller, Rex Stephan and AJ Graffanino each had a hit for the Gold squad.
Gold 4, Purple 0
PURP 000 000 0 –- 0 2 1
GOLD 020 200 x –- 4 6 0
PURP: Ryan Schmitten, Alex Hardy (2), Channing Nesbitt (5) and Andy Cosgrove; GOLD: Will Ballowe, Toby Dunlap (5), Alex Nesbitt (7) and Willie MacIver. W – Ballowe. L – Schmitten. Sv – none. HR – none. 3B – none. 2B – PURP: Jack Meggs; GOLD: Kyle London.
