FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The white team squeaked past the cardinal team with a 2-1 decision in Game 2 of the Fall World Series on Tuesday, forcing a decisive Game 3 to be played Thursday.
Following the dramatic 6-5 finish in the series opener, the white team unceremoniously scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch in the third inning. Creighton transfer outfielder Jared Wegner’s run followed junior outfielder Jace Bohrofen’s sacrifice fly in the first inning, which gave the white team a 1-0 lead, and preceded junior college transfer Ben McLaughlin’s third home run in two days, which cut the White lead to 2-1.
Despite suffering the loss, Nebraska transfer right-hander Koty Frank and freshman lefty Jordan Huskey both pitched admirably for the cardinal team. Both pitchers posted three innings of work, and the duo combined for two hits, five walks, six strikeouts and just one earned run.
As strong as the Cardinal pitchers were, their stats were no match for White. Newcomers Ben Bybee and Sean Fitzpatrick teamed up with returners Matthew Magre and Jake Faherty to hold the Cardinal hitters to a run on four hits, with two walks and 10 strikeouts in seven frames.
Bybee made it through three innings with a zero in the run column. Aside from the solo homer, Magre was effective in his two innings, retiring three of the eight hitters he faced on strikes. Fitzpatrick erased a leadoff single with a 6-4-3 double play ball, and Faherty struck out the side to wrap things up and even the series.
“Every single kid here has something great, and you can’t take an at-bat off, because they’ll get you for sure,” McLaughlin said.
Both squads were able to generate baserunners at a reasonable clip, but no one could seem to deliver when it mattered most. In 13 half-innings, the teams combined to strand 11 men.
The Cardinal second inning began with a McLaughlin walk and a double off the bat of Hunter Grimes, another of the junior college transfers. Bybee induced a hard liner to third, a swinging strikeout and a ground ball to second to escape with a zero and the lead. That was the only chance the visitors had with a runner in scoring position, as McLaughlin hit a ball 412 feet to center field when he scored the only run.
“Ball’s looking a little bigger, and I’m just trying to take my best swings, and it’s showing,” McLaughlin said.
The white team, on the other hand, had plenty of chances with runners in scoring position. Wegner walked three times, and he only scored because of Frank’s wild pitch. He stole second base the other two times, but he did not make it any farther.
White left two men in scoring position in the third and fourth innings, highlighting Frank’s and Huskey’s abilities to get out of jams. Most of it was self-inflicted, with two hit batsmen to go with their five walks, but they pitched their ways around it. In fact, the only two hits belonged to freshman center fielder Mason Neville, who made things interesting Monday with his go-ahead grand slam.
The winner-take-all Game 3 is slated for Thursday. Based on previous Thursday scrimmages, fans can expect first pitch to come around 3 or 3:30 p.m., but an official time has yet to be announced. Below is a box score from Tuesday’s game:
