TicketsNov. 11, 2006
CINCINNATI, Ohio---Newcomer Spencer Goruk laid down the game-winning squeeze bunt in the bottom of the eighth inning to lead the Black team to a 6-5 win in game three of the Cincinnati intra-squad World Series on Friday afternoon. The victory for the Black team evens the series at one game apiece after the opener ended in a tie.
Another Cincinnati newcomer, Tony Campana, continued his impressive fall practice season, going 3 for 4 at the plate, with two runs scored, two RBI and a stolen base to lead the Black team. Cameron Satterwhite added a pair of hits for team Black.
The Red team was led by two hits by redshirt freshman Keith Kampe and a pair of RBI from transfer Michael Obyc. Sean Munninghoff picked up the victory, while Matt Heber was tagged with the hard luck defeat.
The Black team didn't waste any time taking the lead as Campana led the game off with a single and went to third on a base hit by Ryan Baker. After a walk to Cory Hodskins loaded the bases, Satterwhite drilled a single to left to plate Campana with the first score of the game. The Black team added another run when Baker scored as Michael Earley reached on a fielder's choice.
In the second inning, Black made it 3-0 against starter Nick Buscemi, starting the inning off with a double by Goruk. Kevin Johnson moved Goruk up with a ground out and the latter trotted home on a double to left by Campana.
The Red team finally broke through against Steve Blevins in the fourth, tying the game with a trio of runs. With one out, Blevins issued consecutive walks and then yielded a run-scoring double to Kyle Rapp. After a strikeout by Nick Maragas, Obyc ripped a two-run double down the left field line that brought the two game-tying runs home.
Campana was at the center of the Black team retaking the advantage with a two-run fourth inning. After tallying a one-out single to score Johnson, Campana came in to score on a single by Hodskins after interference was called on Red third baseman Josh Harrison.
The see-saw battle would be retied in the eighth as the Red team took advantage of a John Virostko error with a pair of unearned runs. With runners on the corner and two outs, Harrison came up huge, ripping a two-run double to right against Munninghoff to plate the game-tying runs.
That set the stage for Goruk's walk-off heroics in the eighth inning against losing pitcher Heber. With one out, Earley doubled to center, before advancing to third on an error by Adam Yeager. That brought Goruk to the plate and junior college transfer laid down a bunt that Heber tried to come home with, but all hands were safe and the game ended in the Black team's favor.
The World Series and the Bearcats' fall practice season wraps up this weekend, with game four on Saturday at 1 p.m. and the finale on Sunday at 12:30 p.m.