CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Behind five shutout innings from starter Mike Vasil (Wellesley, Mass.), Blue took control of the Orange and Blue World Series with a 3-1 victory in seven innings on Thursday afternoon (Oct. 18). Blue now leads the six-game series, 2-1.
 
Vasil scattered four hits and didn’t walk a batter in five innings pitched to earn the victory. His Orange counterpart, Griff McGarry (Portola Valley, Calif.) was nearly as good, tossing 4.2 innings and allowing only an unearned run. McGarry recorded all three of his strikeouts in the top of the first inning.
 
Freshman Nic Kent (Gordonsville, Va.) went 2-for-4 and scored what proved to be the deciding run in the top of the 7th inning. Kent broke for the plate when Brendan Rivoli (Douglasville, Pa.) got caught in a rundown between first and second base. An errant throw to the plate put allowed Kent to score and made the score, 2-0.
 
Rivoli later scored on an infield single by Nate Eikhoff (Bristow, Va.) to give Blue a 3-0 advantage in the final frame.
 
Orange made things interesting in the seventh, pulling within two on a Drew Hamrock (Roswell, Ga.) RBI ground out. Sophomore Kyle Whitten (Manassas, Va.) induced the game-ending fielder’s choice with the tying run at the plate to earn his first save of the series.  
 
Junior Will Allocca (Richmond, Va.) produced two of the five Orange hits on the afternoon. Freshman Jimmy Sullivan (Wethersfield, Conn.) broke the initial scoreless tie in the top of the fourth with a single to right center that scored Devin Ortiz (Nutley, N.J.)
 
The Orange and Blue World Series continues on Sunday (Oct. 21) with game four at Disharoon Park. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
 
2018 Orange & Blue World Series Schedule
Game 1: Friday, Oct. 12 – Blue, 8-2
Game 2: Sunday, Oct. 14 – Orange, 5-2
Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 18 – Blue, 3-1

Game 4: Sunday, Oct. 21 – 1 p.m.
Game 5: Thursday, Oct. 25 – 3:15 p.m.
Game 6: Thursday, Nov. 1 – 3:15 p.m.
 
* With the six-game format, a winner of the series will be determined by the following order: 1) the first team to win four games 2) based on overall run differential if the series is tied at three games. All six games will be played, regardless of if the series has been decided.