Team Black Wins Guilford Intrasquad World Series

Greensboro, NC (10/26/01) - After five complete innings in Game 4 of the Intrasquad World Series a significant interplanetary disturbance necessitated the suspension of play with Team Black leading, 5-2, and seeking to close out the series versus the over-manned Team Cardinal.  This delay is reminiscent of the solar flares that interrupted play in the 2000 series.

    "We just can't take chances with planetary gravitational fields," explained Commissioner Gene Baker.  "We're just better off suspending play rather than risk someone tipping over.  Coach (Adam) Taylor and Coach (Craig) Rapp were already having trouble keeping their balance, and they are probably the finest tuned athletes in our program.  We'll pick up where we left off tomorrow."

    There was no fifth game.

    With intergalactic forces realigned, Game Four of the Guilford College Intrasquad World Series resumed and concluded last Wednesday with an 8-5 Team Black clinching victory.  Michael Idol provided a strong five-inning start, Adam Comstock tossed an inning of scoreless relief, and Tim Huie didn't get blasted enough to blow a six-run lead in the seventh as Team Black built a big lead and survived a furious Team Cardinal rally in the annual fall classic.

    Team Cardinal rolled the dice early, sending injured shortstop Zach Morgan to the mound for the start.  Morgan, the only native elf on the Guilford roster, was unable to swing a bat due to a freak chocolate chip sorting accident, and only able to play defense during Game Four.  As luck would have it, he left his "A" game at the bakery and allowed four first-inning runs on only two hits.  He walked two, hit one and surrendered a sacrifice fly to Dan Ludwig.  The four non-at bat plate appearances are a World Series record for first-inning play, but pale in comparison to a seven-walk fifth-inning chalked up by Northern Iowa pitchers in 1987.  Following the rocky start, Morgan settled down, allowing only one run over the next four innings.  His Team Black counterpart, Michael "Billy" Idol pronounced the day as “nice for a white wedding,” and retired the side in the first.  His only struggle came in the second as Steve Danis drove in two runs for Team Cardinal with a two-out single.

    Team Black put the game away with a three-run seventh off reliever Luke Kempton.  The key play was a one-out error by out-of-position hurler, Anthony Ramakis.  For his part, Ramakis was playing as a desperate man.  Vying to become the first four-time winner in IWS history, he sadly fell short, in part, by his own hands (or lack thereof).  He was also a key player in the Cardinal seventh-inning rally, with a two-run single off the battered Huie.  Ramakis’ hit brought his team to within three runs with only one out.  But Huie fanned Gabe Staub, who had previously been 2-0 in IWS play, and induced a Kurt Cavanaugh line drive out to left for the final out.

    While Ramakis' career IWS record fell to 3-1, Team Black's Whicker upped his record to 3-1.  On the down side, Game Four starter and loser Morgan fell to 0-3 in his career, and will likely return next year with hopes of avoiding a record-breaking four-series losing streak. 

    The disheartened Team Cardinal management team had little to say following the defeat.  Nick Black blamed Ramakis, Ramakis blamed Chris Francis, Francis blamed Danis, and Danis blamed Black.  All four were subsequently released from the remainder of their contracts and were last seen contacting agents regarding free-agent opportunities in the Kernersville Little League.

    Team Black junior Brad Franklin, a winner on the mound in Game One and a .455 hitter for the series, was named series MVP, a rare honor for players unable to keep the Velcro on their batting gloves fastened.  Seniors Whicker, Joe Dooley and Huie are expected to travel different paths following the post series hoopla.  Whicker may move on to management in a different organization, while Dooley looks to extend his career into an over-22 league as yet to be determined.  Huie would like to stay on with Team Black having finally been a part of a winning organization, but at press time had yet to be offered a contract for next year.  A team spokesman was overheard to say, "We wouldn't have him back if he was a package deal with Derek Jeter and Curt Schilling.  We tried to unload him before the Series.  You saw what happened when he got on the mound, he nearly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory."

    Both rosters are looking forward with much anticipation to their first preseason game at Savannah College of Art and Design on February 9 of 2002.

- Gene Baker