Nov. 4, 2009

Video Recap | Box Score

NEW ORLEANS - Freshman catcher Matt Shortall delivered the go-ahead runs on a two-run double in the top of the seventh as the Black team won game one of Tulane's five-game Fall World Series, 5-2, in a seven inning game over the Green squad Wednesday at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.

"This is my first time in the Fall World Series, so I was pretty excited," Shortall said. "I got a good slider to hit and it felt pretty good."

Black team RHP/DH Alex Byo struck out seven in five innings of work, allowing five hits and two earned. He gave way to winning pitcher Robby Broach, who threw a flawless sixth. Junior RHP Drew Zizinia fanned a pair of batters in the seventh to pick up the save.

Tied 2-2 in the top of the seventh, Byo singled to center off Green reliever Preston Claiborne to open the inning and advanced on walk to freshman SS Garrett Cannizaro. Freshman RHP Nate Fury was summoned out of the bullpen for team Green, and Shortall greeted him with a double to the wall in left, plating two runs.

"Matt Shortall had the big AB there," Tulane head coach Rick Jones said. "That was a good piece of hitting on a breaking ball."

Sophomore 1B Jamie Bruno followed with an RBI single to extend the margin to 5-2. Team Green got on the board first in the home half of the first as junior CF Nick Boullosa reached on an infield single, stole second and third, and came in to score on a sacrifice fly from sophomore C Jeremy Schaffer.

The Black Squad answered with a pair in top of the second, as Byo and Cannizaro opened the inning with back-to-back singles and freshman SS Adam Zabel delivered an RBI single to complete an 11-pitch at bat. After a fielder's choice and a balk from Green starter Nick Pepitone, Zabel scored on an RBI groundout from Bruno.

The Mean Green tied the game at two in the bottom of the second, as sophomore DH Karl Mundt laced a double down the left-field line and freshman 3B Quinn Pippin drove him home with a single to center.

From there, the two pitching staffs matched zeros as Byo mowed down nine of the next 10 Green batters he faced, while Pepitone retired 10 batters in a row after allowing his second run in the second inning. Pepitone finished with a pair of strikeouts against one walk and three hits allowed in five innings of work, while picking up a no decision.

Mundt and Pippin each finished the day two-for-three for the Green Team, while Bruno and Shortall each posted two RBIs for the Black squad.

"It was a very competitive game right down to the last inning, so there are a lot of things we can build on," Jones said. "It's the first time you start seeing guys really in competition and guys that are really now in situations where they have to get a bunt down, or hit and run, do a good job on the bases, and make pitches when they have to make them. One of the things we want to find out in the competition is how guys are going to compete and I thought today was a good start to that."

Black Squad coach Chad Sutter credited his team's pitching, defense, and clutch hitting in the win: "Matt Shortall with a huge hit, and Jamie Bruno with another run to pad the lead a little bit. But It's just one game. It's game one, it's an important game, but they are throwing a great pitcher tomorrow. We're responding with another good one, it should be a good game."

The Green Team will try to rally in the second game of the five-game set on Thursday as coach Jack Cressend's squad sends freshman RHP Kyle McKenzie (2.70 ERA, 6 K, 13 1/3 IP this fall) to the mound opposite the black team's junior RHP Conrad Flynn (5.68 ERA, 9 K, 12 2/3 IP). First pitch is slated for 2:45.

Post-Game Quotes

Tulane Head Coach Rick Jones
"I saw some good pitching today. Nick Pepitone was workman-like. So was Alex Byo. Both those guys did solid jobs. Out of the bullpen Preston Claiborne was really good. Drew Zizinia was really good. Both those guys had dominant stuff. Drew Zizinia has been a good surprise this fall. It's the first time he's been healthy in a couple years and now his fastball is in the low-90s with a good, tight slider. Offensively, Matt Shortall had the big AB there. That was a good piece of hitting on a breaking ball...he had a good day today. Karl Mundt has a good day today. He's battled injuries and still is battling injuries, but that was a good day for him. I thought Jeremy Schaffer caught well and swung the bat well."

"It was a very competitive game right down to the last inning, so there are a lot of things we can build on. It's the first time you start seeing guys really in competition and guys that are really now in situations where they have to get a bunt down, or hit and run, do a good job on the bases, and make pitches when they have to make them. One of the things we want to find out in the competition is how guys are going to compete and I thought today was a good start to that."

Black Squad Coach Chad Sutter
"Obviously it starts with the pitching and defense. We had no errors and pitched outstanding. Robby Broach with a great inning and Drew Zizinia closed it at the end. Alex Byo really battled, especially after getting hit in the head at second base. He got rattled a little bit but came back. He gave us five strong innings. Obviously clutch hitting: Matt Shortall with a huge hit, and Jamie Bruno with another run to pad the lead a little bit. But It's just one game. It's game one, it's an important game, but they are throwing a great pitcher tomorrow. We're responding with another good one, it should be a good game."

Black Squad Freshman Catcher Matt Shortall
"This is my first time in the Fall World Series, so I was pretty excited. I got a good slider to hit and it felt pretty good. I think we're in good shape for the rest of the series. We've got a good pitching staff. We had a really good intensity. It's the first time being in a `real game' since summer ball. It felt good to get back in the swing of things."

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