Oct. 11, 2012
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Senior RHP Adam Norton (Highland, Ind./Andrean) and three other relievers combined on a one-hit shutout as the Blue took the opening game of the 2012 Blue-Gold Fall World Series in convincing fashion, 11-0. The two teams will conclude the intrasquad series with a doubleheader at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Coveleski Stadium.
Norton tossed 4.0 hitless innings and picked up the victory, but uncharacteristically walked two batters. He induced four groundouts and seven fly outs.
Freshman RHP David Hearne (Homer Glen, Ill./Providence Catholic), sophomore RHP Matt Ternowchek (Glenmoore, Pa./Downington East) and freshman LHP Michael Hearne (Palos Heights, Ill./Marist) worked the final five scoreless innings.
David Hearne struck out one and walked one in 1.1 innings of work, while Ternowchek fanned one and allowed the Gold’s only base hit in 2.0 innings. Michael Hearne tossed the final 1.2 innings and retired all five batters he faced.
Senior captain and team manager Frank DeSico (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Ignatius) paced the Blue 14-hit attack. He went 3-for-4 with an RBI and four runs scored. DeSico drew a walk and swiped two bases. Sophomore 3B Phil Mosey (Fishers, Ind./Cathedral) also collected three hits. He went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Junior 1B Trey Mancini (Winter Haven, Fla./Winter Haven) and freshman RF James Nevant (Asheville, N.C./T.C. Roberson) each had two hits apiece. Mancini went 2-for-5 with a run scored, stolen base and four RBI, including a two-run triple. Nevant also went 2-for-5 with a run scored, stolen base and two-run double.
In all, eight of the nine starters on the Blue squad registered at least one base hit.
Junior RHP Dan Slania (Tucson, Ariz./Salpointe) was charged with the loss. The right-handed hurler was touched up for five earned runs on eight hits in 2.0 innings of work. Slania walked one and failed to strikeout a batter.
Lane Richards (Pendleton, Ore./Pendleton) picked up a single – the only hit of the game for the Gold – with one out in the top of the eighth inning.
Sophomore RHP Cristian Torres (Ranco Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula) tossed 0.2 scoreless innings of relief for the Gold. He fanned one of the two batters he faced.
Junior RHP Sean Fitzgerald (McLean, Va./McLean) and sophomore RHP Pat Connaughton (Arlington, Mass./St. John’s Prep) will start for the Gold, while the Blue will send sophomore RHP Kyle Rubbinaccio (Manalpan, N.J./ Manalpan) and junior RHP Donnie Hissa (Iron River, Wisc./Maple Northwestern) to the mound.
— ND —