Marasco, Cox Help Blue Down Crimson, 3-2 in Fall World Series Finale
Oct. 31, 2010
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Junior third baseman Jake Marasco’s two-out double in the top of the eighth inning drove in winning run, while freshman pitcher Alex Cox pitched seven strong innings to earn the win as the Blue team defeated Crimson, 3-2 in the third and final game of the Kansas Baseball Crimson and Blue World Series Sunday at Hoglund Ballpark.
The Blue team, which was captained by senior Jimmy Waters, won all three games in the series, including a 10-inning thriller Saturday.
“I was just looking for something up in the zone, and in the previous at bat (relief pitcher) Conner (Murray) had primarily used sliders to get me out, so I was really looking for that pitch,” said Marasco. “He just left one over the plate.”
Cox, a freshman from Corona, Calif., pitched seven innings to pick up the victory, allowing two runs on five hits with a walk and four strikeouts. His counterpart, junior Lee Ridenhour, pitched four innings and scattered two runs on four hits.
After Marasco’s heroics in the top of the eighth, the Crimson team looked to rally after an error and a single by Jason Brunansky when team captain Casey Lytle singled to left. However, freshman outfielder Alex Harris made a strong throw to the plate to cut down the potential tying run.
Brunansky and sophomores Kevin Kuntz and Jordan Dreiling each had a pair of hits in the game, while Blue team relief pitcher recorded two strikeouts to earn a save in the ninth.
In the second game of the series, the Blue team rallied for three runs in the top of the ninth and one in the tenth to turn a 5-2 deficit into a 6-5 victory.
Junior first baseman Zac Elgie, who homered to drive in the go-ahead runs in Friday’s opener, went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs to pace the Blue team. Freshman Jordan Brown as well as Brunansky and Lytle also had two hits for Crimson.
Senior lefty Wally Marciel started for the Crimson team and pitched five innings, allowing one run on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts, while Thomas Taylor overcame a rough first inning to go six innings for the Blue team.
Junior Colton Murray earned the win for the Blue team, pitching both the ninth and tenth innings and allowing no runs and no hits with a walk and three strikeouts.
The Sunday series finale wraps up KU’s fall practice season. The Jayhawks will open the 2011 regular season on Feb. 18 at TCU.
