(October 7, 2008 - Ann Arbor, Mich.) -- The fall baseball season is winding down this week with the annual Red & Black World Series. If the first two days are any indication, the remaining three games are not to be missed. The Black squad, coached by Tyler Maxey (Sr. - Holt, Mich.), broke through with a 5-4 8-inning victory on Monday and that was capped off with an exciting 7-6 win by the Red team on Tuesday.

After giving up base hits to Frank Persichino (Jr. - Sterling Heights, Mich.) and Jeff Bultinck (So. - Sterling Heights, Mich.) to start the series, lefty Brent McNeil (Jr. - Springboro, Ohio) settled down and retired the next three batters to hold the Red squad off the board in the opening frame. His teammates took the momentum into the bottom half and scored a pair of runs to give themselves a 2-0 lead.

Sean Quesada (Jr. - Troy, Mich.) lead off with a triple and scored on Zach Johnston's single to centerfield. After Johnston (Jr. - Ionia, Mich.) was caught stealing, Maxey doubled down the rightfield line and would score on a one-out Blake Edwards (Sr. - Lathrup Village, Mich.) single.

The score would remain the same until the Black squad built on their lead with another pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Edwards opened the inning with a double and would move to third on a one-out single by Chris Conner (Jr. - Cincinnati, Ohio). After Denver Straub (So. - Milan, Mich.) was walked by starting pitcher Brad Roettger (So. - Sterling Heights, Mich.), Edwards would score on a fielder's choice by Brian Lobkovich (Fr. - Dearborn Heights, Mich.). Roettger would walk Kenny Warren (Jr. - Canton, Mich.) to again load the bases and would follow with a walk to Quesada to score Conner and give the Black a 4-0 lead.

Red would finally break through in the top of the fifth as Matt Hunt (Fr. - Howell, Mich.) would lead off the frame with a single and would come around to score on a one-out triple off the bat of Dan Przybylowicz (Fr. - West Bloomfield, Mich.). Zane Johnston (Jr. - Ionia, Mich.) would follow with a single to cut the deficit to two runs. Roettger would get two flyouts to end the rally.

McNeil would run into trouble in the sixth as well as he would hit Ben Sprague (Sr. - DeWitt, Mich.) with a pitch to start the inning. After getting a ground out, McNeil would surrender a double to Tim McEvoy (Sr. - Detroit, Mich.) down the leftfield line to score Sprague. Ricky Mathis (Fr. - Hastings, Mich.) would replace McEvoy on the base paths and would use his speed to take third on a passed ball and score on a Hunt double. Shawn Barnes (Fr. - Hudsonville, Mich.) would come in to relieve McNeil, and help get the Black squad out of the inning without further damage.

With two outs in the eighth, Lobkovich would single and move to second on a Warren walk. Billy Kohls (Jr. - Temperance, Mich.) would replace Lobkovich at second and the pinch-runner would come around with the winning run after Quesada ripped a single to right center ending the game 5-4 for the Black squad. 

Cameron Hynds (Fr. - Milan, Mich.) would pick up the win in relief after throwing two scoreless innings.

After playing a nearly-flawless game on Monday, the Black squad would suffer from poor defense and rocky pitching to fall behind 6-0. But a half dozen runs in the top of the sixth seemingly cured the team, but it would not be enough as Red would score the winning run in their final at-bat on a squeeze play to tie the series at 1-1.

Nick Rober (So. - Ann Arbor, Mich.) began the game  for the Red team and threw well throughout as he finished with five innings pitcher while giving up a pair of hits and four walks. While Rober did well, his counterpart Kohls struggled throughout.

Neither team scored in the first but the Red squad would pick-up a run in the second to take a 1-0 lead. Adam Goodwin (Sr. - Portland, Mich.) would walk followed by McEvoy, who would reach on an error by rightfielder Conner. Kohls was able to pick up a couple of outs, but David Sutton (Fr. - Armada, Mich.) would knock a 2-2 pitch up the middle to score the lead run.

The game seemed to swing fully in the advantage of the Red squad, coach by Sprague, in the third. Zane Johnston was hit by a pitch and stole second, coming around to score on Persichino's single through the right side of the infield. Sprague would reach on a fielder's choice, but an error by Maxey at second allowed Persichino to advance safely. Both runners moved up on a passed ball by Andrew Jacinto (So.- Toronto, Ont.). After retiring Bultinck and stranding the runners at second and third, Kohls gave up a deep-double to right center to Goodwin to make the score 4-0 Red.

Red would add another run in the fourth as Sprague would double home Zane Johnston with two outs. Another run was added in the fifth as Goodwin lead off the inning knocking a 1-1 pitch off of Noack to right-center for the Series first home run.

A game that seemed fully in control of Red turned quickly in the top of the sixth.

Rober would walk Quesada, surrendered a single to Zach Johnston and walked Maxey to load the bases with no outs before being lifted for Przybylowicz. After getting Edwards to pop-up to McEvoy, Przybylowicz walked Conner to allow the first Black run to cross. A single by Jacinto through the right-side would score a pair of runners and the game wa 6-3 with Jacinto and first and Conner at third. After getting a strikeout, Przybylowicz would walk Warren, moving Straub (who entered to run for Jacinto) to second to load the bases. Tony Pounders (Jr. - Livonia, Mich.) would follow with an RBI walk to make the game 6-4.

Red turned to Zane Johnston to pitch and the right-hander struck out Quesada on three pitches. Unfortunately, the ball bounced away from McEvoy to the fence and while the catcher searched for it Conner and Warren scampered home with two runs and the game was tied. Zane was able to get his brother Zach to ground out to avoid further damage in the inning.

After escaping in the bottom of the sixth by inducing a double-play, the Black team went quietly in the top of the seventh. With Matthew St. Kitts (Fr. -Pickering, Ont.) entering his third inning of work, the Red squad would finish the game off in dramatic fashion in the last of the seventh.

St. Kitts would walk McEvoy, who would advance off a bunt single by Mathis. Przybylowicz would hit into a fielder's choice as Pounders would throw out McEvoy at third. But Conner would let a pitch ricochet off his glove and Mathis would move to third. Hunt would be given a free pass by St. Kitts and the bases were loaded with one. With Hunt at first, Przybylowicz at second, Mathis at third and Zane Johnston at the plate - the Red squad had tremendous speed all over the diamond. After seeing the first pitch, Johnston dropped down a perfect squeeze bunt and Mathis would fly home with the winning run.

The two teams will take to the field Wednesday and Thursday (and possibly Friday) to finish off the series. Also, the teams will come together Saturday afternoon to play in the annual Alumni game. The Red & Black World Series games are at 4:00 p.m. during the week while the Alumni game will start at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Admission is free.