NEWS

By Brandon Schwartzberg

The Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League entered the top of the ninth tied with the Sunbelt League in a low-scoring pitcher’s duel.

After a strikeout and a groundout to start the frame, the Big Train’s Jeffrey Heard (Sacramento State) smacked a single into right-center, advancing to second base on a misplay by Sunbelt’s center fielder.

That sent Alexandria’s Gavin Miller (Auburn) up to bat. Miller, who had brought home the only run to that point for the Cal Ripken Sr. League on a single to left in the top of the seventh, provided the much needed knock.

Miller drove a 2-2 pitch into center field, scoring Heard from second as he beat the throw home.

Immediately  after Miller’s single, the game was called due to lightning, resulting in a 2-1 victory for the Cal Ripken Sr. League in its first of two contests in the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball’s prospect games.

Heard and Miller were the stars of a Cal Ripken Sr. League lineup that otherwise struggled to get anything going offensively. The duo combined for a 4-for-8 night with both runs batted in on Miller’s two singles. The rest of the offense notched just one hit, courtesy of a Jacob Orr (University of Maryland) pinch-hit single in the top of the eighth.

Cal Ripken Sr. League’s pitching shined to remain within striking distance, eventually allowing its offense to find the winning knock.

Alexandria’s Anthony Ehly (Seton Hall) started as the first of five arms to pitch against the Sunbelt League. Ehly shined in his lone inning of work, striking out three to set the tone on the mound.

Bethesda’s Jack Robinson (Roanoke) relieved Ehly and pitched admirably in two frames, allowing the lone Sunbelt run to score in the bottom of the second on a bases-loaded single. Robinson did avoid further blemishes, inducing a pop-up and a groundout to end the inning with the damage limited to one run.

The Cal Ripken Sr. League then received a pair of excellent two-shutout frames from Alexandria’s Ryan Edmonds (George Mason) and Bethesda’s Austin Morris (University of Alabama).

Edmonds pitched into trouble in the bottom of the fourth when he allowed a pair of walks, eventually resulting with runners on the corners and two outs in the frame. But he induced a pop up to get out of the jam without a run scoring.

Morris faced a similar situation in the bottom of the seventh. Two Sunbelt runners were in scoring position with just one out collected. That was before Morris struck out the ensuing batter and forced a groundout from the next, keeping the score tied at one.

Alexandria’s Michael Gillen (Seton Hall) threw a phenomenal bottom of the eighth, striking out the side with ease before his offense scored the game-winning run in the top of the ninth. Gillen was credited with the win.

The Cal Ripken Sr. League returns to Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium to take on the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League at 1 p.m. on Tuesday.