Controversial Call Preserves Team Black Game 1 Win

Greensboro, NC (10/06/00) - Team Black downed Team Cardinal, 7-6, in the first game of the Guilford Intrasquad World Series Friday.  Cardinal third baseman Brad Franklin's RBI grounder, which brought Cardinal to within one, left people talking.  Team Black holds on to take a 1-0 series lead in the Guilford baseball fall classic.

Horrible, brutal, and ridiculous were the most often heard adjectives describing the call made by an anonymous world series umpire. "I know I beat it," Franklin said.

"I know he beat it," Cardinal skipper Eric Pelletier said.  But, knowing he beat it wasn't enough this time as Team Black plated seven runs on 11 hits off three Cardinal pitchers in the series opener.

Surprise Cardinal starter Brian Michael displayed some freshman jitters allowing two first-inning runs on an RBI-double by Nick Black and a run scoring single by Ryan Mercer.   Cardinal answered in the bottom of the frame with two off Black ace Anthony Ramakis on a Pelletier single and an uncharacteristic passed ball by Black catcher Black.

Ramakis settled down and the Black bats came alive in the middle innings with a run in the third and a three-spot in the fourth, which was highlighted by back to back RBI-doubles by Luke Kempton and Black.  Cardinal finally answered in the fifth with a leadoff triple by Michael and a double by AJ McCauley, who later scored on a fielding error.

The insurance run that proved to be the winner scored in the top of the sixth as Kempton drew a one-out walk, moved to second on a bunt single by Black, went to third on a passed ball, and scored on a wild pitch.

"It wasn't pretty, but I've really been working on my speed since being forced to participate in the Wynne Scott '98 Fun Run last spring. I've got my 60 time down under eight seconds, but I think my jump was what got the job done," Kempton noted.

In the fateful bottom of the seventh, Cardinal opened with singles by McCauley, Chris Francis and Steve Danis, but failed to plate a run.  After Pelletier popped to first, McCauley scored on a wild pitch that moved Francis to third and Danis (the tying run) into scoring position at second.  Franklin's groundball was to Kempton's right at short.  He fielded it cleanly before making a strong throw to first.  As they say, "The rest is history."

"I thought we were outplayed. We made five errors, had three passed balls and only outhit Team Cardinal by two and still won the game," Black coach Josh Wolfe observed.  "I think that is just evidence of how much tougher we are than them."

When told of Wolfe's comments, Pelletier finally broke his silence. "He's an idiot! We're better!.   We were robbed on the call in the seventh.  Another thing, Wolfe and I were on the winning team last year and I hit, threw, ran and caught better than he can even dreamt about. We're kicking his butt all over the field tomorrow."

Saturday's game time is 12:45 and the pitching matchup is expected to be Brad Franklin for Cardinal versus Black skipper Wolfe.

At press time, Commissioner Gene Baker's office was unavailable for comment regarding the possibility of fines for Pelletier's comments concerning the umpiring, but historically, such demeanor has carried a stiff penalty since Baker's ascension the commissionership.

-G. Baker