Tie Game Leaves Series 1-1-1
10/7/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Morgan Oliver smacked a three-run homer to highlight a four-run seventh inning for the Gold Team as the Gold and Maroon played an 8-8 tie Tuesday in Game 3 of the CMU baseball team's Fall World Series Classic at Theunissen Stadium.
The game was called after seven innings. The series is 1-1-1 heading in Friday's Game 4 at 3:05 p.m. Game 5 is scheduled for noon on Saturday, and Game 6 is 1 p.m. Sunday.
"That was the Morgan Oliver that we saw many times," CMU coach Steve Jaksa said of his junior infielder, who hit two homers last season. "And when I say that I mean the battling. Foul off and foul off, extend the at-bat, and force (the pitcher) to throw more pitches than he wants to."
Oliver's homer, which smacked off the mesh on the left-field foul pole, came on a fullcount. Later that inning, Adam Collins scampered home from third on a passed ball to tie the game.
"Disappointed on one team, all glory on the other," Jaksa said. "That's the beauty of the intrasquad. You see good and bad all the way around."
The game was played in intermittent showers which, at times, were heavy, and the wind gusted strongly from right field to left.
"Today was not as clean a game as we wanted it to be," Jaksa said. "We'd like them all to be clean, but things get in the way of that sometimes.
"Did both teams still battle? Did both teams try to win? Yes. I've said it many times, we've got to make sure that that's how we play.
"You have make sure that you continue to battle, that you don't feel sorry for yourself. It's `Hey, we've got to playing, keep churning, keep fighting.' And if weather's part of the equation, that's part of it too."
Adam Collins had four hits to lead Gold, while Oliver, Alec Ornelas and Cody Leichman had two apiece. Nick Regnier and Pat MacKenzie had two each for Maroon.
Patrick Leatherman started for Maroon, and Brady Williams and Braxton Markle pitched in relief. Josh Pierce started for Gold, while Jimmy McNamara and Ryan O'Shea pitched in relief.
