Mike Kaffee, Community News Canes Baseball reporter.
The Mark Light Rumble kicked off today Green versus Orange of the College World Series, Miami style, highlighting the fall preseason better known as the Fall Classic. Whatever you call it for the next 4 games will be played at an intense level to determine the Best of the Best and have the bragging rights that go along with the title: Mark Light Champions. The winner will be determined by the cumulative innings won. If it is a tie, it will revert to the runs scored.
Team Orange took an early lead taking the first three innings. Lazaro Collera, pitching for Orange made quick work of Green striking out two of the three batters faced. Coming to bat in the bottom half of the first, AJ Ciscar, pitching for Green, got off to a shaky start with a Michael Torres opening double, followed by an RBI single by Renzo Gonzalez to score the initial run and capture a point for Team Orange.
The bats for Green started heating up in the second after recording two outs. Ethan Puig doubled and followed up with teammate Edgardo Villegas singling to bring him home for Green’s first run. Orange answered in the bottom half of the inning with two of their own to capture their 2nd point and lead in runs 4-1. For Orange, Brandon Degoti opened reaching first on an error by the shortstop(Adrian Areizaga). Gaby executed a perfect SAC, not only advancing Brandon but reaching safely at first for an infield hit. Orange playing aggressive ball generated a double steal successfully putting two runners in scoring position. Runners on second and third, two outs, a single by Elijah Hurt scoring Brandon and Gaby. Renzo would add one more run to the two already scored with an RBI single bringing Elijah home who had advanced to second on a ground out by Michael Torres.
Third inning Green dug themselves deeper with Orange picking up another point and adding to the tiebreaker total on a Daniel Cuvet HR. This has been a very tough preseason for Daniel hitting-wise who finally found the right pitch and sent the ball way over the LF fence.
After the 4th inning a change in pitchers. Tate DeRias for the Orange and Ryan Ashford for the Green. The next two innings they battled to a nothing-to-nothing tie. In the 7th Green who had been dragging their spikes as well as their bats finally awoke taking the next two innings to move to within a point of Orange. Things got started for Team Green in the 7th with a lead-off single by Derek Williams advancing to third on a Max Galvin double. With runners on 2nd and 3rd a one-out single by Ethan Puig scored both giving Green their first point. They followed it up with their second point the following inning with a lead-off walk to Areizaga, stealing second. Fabio Peralta grounded out 4-3 advancing Adrian to third. Top of the order Jake Ogden’s SF to center for the run and the point.
James Kleiven pitched the final two innings for Team Green and Brixton Lofgren came in to pitch the 9th for Team Orange. Things got interesting in the bottom of the 9th with a man on third two out, Daniel Cuvet with the opportunity to add another point to Orange to give them a 4-2 point lead. Daniel Already with a HR today along with 3Ks had everyone on the edge of their seats with a long and high fly ball to right that it looked like there was enough to carry the ball over the wall only to be caught right against the fence to end today’s scrimmage. Final count: 3-2 in points to Orange with the tiebreaker’s score of 5-3 Orange.
Offensively three batters in double digits: For team Green: Ethan Puig
Besides the hitting of Gaby Guiterrez and Ethan Puig each with three hits and Daniel sort of coming out of his slump with his HR and nearly a second at the end of the game I have to mention a pitcher who I had buried for the second time after his last outing. Like Lazarus rising from his death to emerge to put on a pitching performance I am still baffled and trying to figure out. Struck out the sides in the 5th, another K in the 6th, and likewise with two of the three batters he faced in the 7th. Prior to today, all that was in his repertoire was throwing walks or give-up hits. I had him buried so deep in the BP that only the act of God could get home out. Well, I guess He came for a visit and has blessed him to my amazement. Hopefully, I can pack my shovel away for good. The team needs LH pitchers and he was on my cut list until today.
The team, scrimmage-wise, has a day off and will resume Thursday at the unthinkable hour of 9AM. What is normally an hour and five minutes from the Keys took me close to 2 hours thanks to everyone rushing to Mark Light Field for the Fall Classic. Come early to avoid the rush.
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