Oct. 8, 2009

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. - Kevin Wager hit a game-winning single with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning and the Gray Team walked off with a 4-3 victory over the Blue Team on Tuesday afternoon in the first game of the annual Blue-Gray October Classic at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth. Wager's hit snapped a 3-3 tie entering the final inning as the Gray Team won in dramatic fashion.

On a day where the intra-squad teams combined for 19 hits, Wager collected three hits and finished a home run short of the cycle in helping his team open a 1-0 series lead in this week's best-of-three matchup. The Gray Team overcame an early 3-0 deficit and Wager's leadoff triple and eventual run in the bottom of the sixth inning tied the game at 3-3 before the comeback was completed in the seventh.

Kyle McMyne pitched a scoreless inning in the top of the seventh to record the win. He and Julian Diaz held the Blue Team scoreless over the final 2 2/3 innings and the pitchers from both sides combined for 11 strikeouts on the day.

Momentum in the early innings was quickly seized by the Blue Team and Chris Pack pitched three scoreless innings in his first outing of the fall season. Meanwhile, first-year infielders Daniel Parham and Mike Rzezsut each doubled off of classmate Kevin MacLachlan following a leadoff walk to Adam Nelson to spot the Blue Team an early 2-0 lead. In the top of the fifth inning, the Gray Team's third error of the game allowed David Koczirka to score with the game's third run.

The Gray Team began its comeback in the bottom of the fifth inning with six straight hitters reaching base and two runs coming in to score. With two outs in the inning, Carl Fiebig represented the potential tying run but was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

The winning rally in the bottom of the seventh started with a one-out single down the right field line by Chris Provenzano and Paul Rambaud then doubled to put the potential winning run 90 feet away. An intentional walk to Tommy Dame loaded the bases to set up a force play at any base, but Wager's third hit of the day proved to be the final blow in the Gray Team's rally.

Rzezsut had three hits to lead the Blue Team and the two sides combined for six stolen bases. Assistant coach Jim Carone (2-2) managed the Gray Team to the victory and snapped a two-game October Classic losing streak, while assistant coach Dave Miller (0-1) took the loss for the Blue Team in his first intra-squad series appearance.

The second game of the series is scheduled for Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m., when right-hander Brian Streilein takes the hill for the Gray Team against southpaw Kyle Helisek for the Blue Team.