APSU Sports Information
Clarksville, TN – Reliever Brett Newberg supplied 4.2 scoreless innings and third baseman Landon Kelly supplied a tie-breaking RBI single to help the Black Team claim a 10-7 victory against the Red Squad, Saturday, in Game 2 of Austin Peay State University baseball’s Red-Black World Series at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Robles also helped his own cause in the first frame with a RBI single that supplied a 1-0 lead.
However, the Red Squad (1-1) broke through in the fourth with outfielders Max Remy and Cayce Bredlau hitting back-to-back one out home runs to take the lead. After a pair of errors, the Red Squad added to its lead when Garrett Kueber and David Martinez each walked with the bases loaded, extending the lead to 4-1.
But Newberg (1-0), who entered the game after the walk to Kueber, allowed just the walk to Martinez before retiring 14 of the next 16 batters he faced, the only two hits coming when Bredlau hit a fifth-inning single and an eighth-inning double. He would strike out four batters over the next 4.2 innings en route to the victory.
The Black Team did not allow the 4-1 deficit to stand long, scratching out three runs in its half of the fourth. The Red Squad defense helped the Black Team’s cause with a two-out error that allowed two runs to score, tying the game.
It would take two more innings before the tie would be broken, but not before it appeared the Black Team would be thwarted. Robles was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, stole second base and advanced to third on a passed ball. But Newberg hit into a fielder’s choice that saw Black Team’s Garrett Giovannelli throw home to cut down Robles.
That frustration did not last long as the Black Team loaded the bases with a single and a walk in front of Kelly, whose infield single pushed home Newberg to break the tie. First baseman Andrew Flaherty added an insurance run with a bases-loaded walk for a 6-4 lead.
The Black Team would tack on four more runs in the eighth with Newberg, outfielder Imani Willis and second baseman Malcolm Tipler posting consecutive RBI doubles. Those runs would prove crucial as the Red Squad scored three runs in the ninth – two on a Remy single – but could not get the tying run on base before reliever John Sparks shut the door.
Willis led the Black Team with a 4-for-5 outing, scoring three times. Robles also had three hits while Tipler supplied two RBI.
Bredlau saw his 4-for-5 outing for the Red Squad go for naught in the loss. Remy finished the day 2-for-5 with a team-best three RBI.
Red squad starter Michael Costanzo was left with no decision after allowing four runs (one earned) on three hits over four innings. Reliever Ricky Heagarty (0-1) was tagged for the loss after allowing two runs in 2.2 innings.
The Red-Black World series will head to a tie-breaker third game, scheduled for 3:00pm, Monday at Raymond C. Hand Park.
