University of North Carolina Athletics
White Pitches Blue Sox To Victory In Fall World Series
October 9, 2007 | Baseball
Oct. 9, 2007
CARY, N.C. - Sophomore right-hander Alex White allowed just one earned run over six strong innings, and Tim Federowicz, Zeke Blanton and Ryan Graepel each had two hits to lead the Carolina Blue Sox to a 4-2 win over the Sox Slayers Tuesday in game one of North Carolina's annual Fall World Series at USA Baseball National Training Complex Stadium.
White (1-0) scattered six hits and gave up just one walk en route to the victory. Senior right-hander Rob Wooten picked up where he left off last season with three strikeouts in 2 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the save for the Blue Sox. Sophomore Adam Warren (0-1) took the loss after allowing two runs on six hits and two walks over four innings. He struck out a game-high four batters.
In addition to the two-hit efforts for the Blue Sox, Kyle Shelton, Dustin Ackley and Garrett Gore each added a pair of hits for the Sox Slayers, who also got scoreless relief outings from Tyler Trice, Patrick Johnson and Greg Holt.
The Blue Sox took a 1-0 lead in the first when center fielder Ben Bunting led off with a single to left and came around to score on a double down the right field line by Federowicz.
The lead was short-lived, however, as the Sox Slayers tied the score in the bottom of the inning on a single to center off the bat of Gore. Shelton and Ackley singled to start the rally for the only earned run of the day off White.
Third baseman Chad Flack put the Blue Sox in front in the third with a single up the middle to plate second baseman Kyle Seager, who started the two-out rally with a double to left center.
The Blue Sox added two more in the sixth to push their lead to 4-1. Singles by Federowicz and Blanton and a sac bunt from Graepel put runners in scoring position for first baseman Brett Thomas, who sent a chopper through the right side to drive in Federowicz. The fourth and final run for the Sox came on a double-steal attempt when Blanton scored from third before Thomas was caught in a rundown between first and second.
The Sox Slayers trimmed the lead to just two runs in the sixth on an RBI single from Shelton. Second baseman Mike Cavasinni reached on a two-base error by Blanton before scoring on Shelton's base hit up the middle.
With the Blue Sox holding the two-run cushion, the Sox Slayers put runners at second and third with just one out in the seventh against Mike Facchinei, but he struck out catcher Mark Fleury, and Wooten came on to fan Holt to end the threat.
The best-of-five series continues with game two at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
