Long Ball Propels Purple To 8-0 Opening Series Win
October 10, 2007 | Baseball
Oct. 10, 2007
GREENVILLE, N.C. - Redshirt freshman Devin Harris went 3-for-3 with a pair of home runs, while Seth Maness tossed five innings of shutout ball to lead the Purple squad to a 8-0 win over the Gold in game one of the annual Purple-Gold World Series in Clark-LeClair Stadium Wednesday night.
Maness (1-0) allowed just three hits with five punch outs and one walk before giving way to Daniel Holder to close out the final two frames. Holder, a transfer from Lurleen Wallace State College, completed the shutout by surrendering a pair of hits with two strikeouts.
Shane Small dropped to 0-1 on the fall season for the Gold team giving up seven runs (all earned) on seven hits in two innings of work. Zack Cooper pitched five strong inning allowing one run on two hits and fanning five.
Junior Stephen Batts got the scoring going early when he singled home Justin Bristow (2-for-3, double) from second base with a shot up the middle. Corey Kemp extended the Purple lead to 3-0 when he followed with a two-run bomb down the right field line. Harris followed Kemp's shot with one of his own to right field for back-to-back jacks giving the Purple a 4-0 lead.
Broc Sutton added to the Purple lead when he belted a three-run shot down the right field line for a 7-0 advantage. Harris drew an opening frame walk and advanced to second when Austin Homan was hit by a Small fastball in the back.
Harris capped the scoring in the top of the seventh with his second homer of the game that cleared the scoreboard in right-center giving the Purple squad an 8-0 win in the first game of the two-game series.
Highlighting the Gold squads hitting were senior Jamie Ray (2-for-3) and freshman Trent Whitehead (2-for-3). Trent Ashcraft, who sat out the 2007 season with an injury, also tallied one hit for the Gold.
The two teams will meet in the final game of the series Thursday afternoon with a first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m.
