South Beats North in 2013 Conference All-Star Game
Box Score
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - A year after being shutout in The Sun Conference All-Star Game, the South team, made up of players from Ave Maria, Florida Memorial, Northwood, St. Thomas and Warner, pounded out 12 hits and scored seven runs to beat the North, 7-4 in the 2013 edition of the preseason event. The North, comprised of players from Embry-Riddle, Southeastern, Thomas, University of South Carolina Beaufort and Webber International, managed just four hits off of the South's pitchers while three errors by the North squad led to three unearned runs. The two squads played 11 total innings.
The South scored two runs in the top of the first inning and never gave up the lead, thanks to another pair of runs in the second, a run in the eighth and two runs in the 11th inning. Embry-Riddle's Kevin Maloney, a 2013 Preseason All-America selection, got two quick groundouts to begin the game, but after striking out Florida Memorial's Joseph Guzman, the ball squirted away from catcher Ryan Regidor (Webber International) and Regidor's throw to first was off line, allowing Guzman to reach first safely.
Giovanni Zayas (St. Thomas) hit a double down the left field line in the following at-bat before Brandon Kirby (Warner) hit an infield single that scored Guzman from third and when Sergio Perez (Warner), pinch running for Zayas, rounded third and headed home, Erik Armostrong's (USCB) to the plate went wide, giving the South a 2-0 lead on a pair of unearned runs.
Northwood's Jake Kutsukos got a ground ball double play to end the bottom of the frame after walking USCB's Terry McClinton, and the South went to work again, this time against Embry-Riddle's Eric Green.
After Green got two quick outs in the second Ave Maria's Gabe Loweree walked, followed by another base on balls for Alejandro Diaz (Florida Memorial). Diaz's teammate, Andy Ruiz doubled to score both Loweree and Diaz, pushing the South's advantage to 4-0.
Danny Sanchez (St. Thomas) went 1-2-3 for his squad in the bottom of the frame to preserve the four-run lead.
Grant Porter (Southeastern) worked around a pair of South hits in the home-half of the third, getting Richie Reilly (Northwood) to ground into a fielder's choice to end the inning.
The North cut the lead in half in their portion of the third inning, thanks to a Billy Farrell (Webber International) triple that scored Phil Delisle (Southeastern) and a McClinton groundout that chased home Farrell in the next at-bat.
Over the next three-and-a-half innings each team's respective pitching staffs held their opponents scoreless, allowing just two hits between them. Johnny Kirkland (Southeastern), Dimitri Nunez (Southeastern), Ben Overman (Thomas) and Kurtis Gens (Thomas) kept the North in it, while Justin Helms (Northwood), Brad Benbrow (Warner) and J.D. Tyler (Northwood) preserved the 4-2 lead for the South.
The North scratched across a run in the bottom of the seventh thanks to a South error and a wild pitch. Josh Longbrake (Webber International) started the inning by wearing a Joe Bocchino (Ave Maria) pitch, and Thomas' Lloyd Hutcherson singled him over to second to put a pair of runners on with one out. A wild pitch allowed but runners to advance a base before Southeastern's Adam Kemp reached first on a fielding error that allowed Longbrake to score, but as Hutcherson was being waived around third, Reilly, the South's first baseman threw him out at home to keep the South in front, 4-3.
The South got a run right back in the eighth, all on the shoulders of center fielder Kirby. The Royal outfielder walked, stole second in the next at-bat, followed by a swipe of third and as the throw from the North's catcher flew by the glove of the third baseman Kirby jogged home to give the South a 5-3 cushion.
Ryan Ruble (Warner), Ricky Claudio (St. Thomas) and Ashley Bulluck (St. Thomas) only allowed one baserunner between them (via an error) in innings eight, nine and 10 for the South, while the North's Kyle McCullough (USCB) and Miles Gavin (USCB) pitched scoreless ninth and tenths for their team.
Diaz collected an RBI in the top of the 11th with a double down the left field line that pushed home Trace McDermott (Ave Maria) after he singled to left with two outs. Diaz touched home on a Loweree ground-rule double in the following at-bat, giving the South a 7-3 advantage.
The North scored just one run in the final half-inning of the day when Embry-Riddle's Kyle Chastain scored on a wild pitch after beginning the frame by getting hit with a pitch and moving around the bases on a single and a groundout. But Kevin Lindheim (Embry-Riddle), pitching for the South, ended the contest when he got Hutcherson to line out to Kirby in center.
Kirby went 2-for-3 with a run, a RBI and two stolen bases while Ruiz finished with a pair of RBIs for the South. Both Loweree and Diaz collected RBIs for their team with Loweree recording two hits and Diaz scoring twice.
Farrell, Hutcherson, Longbrake and Jeff Lemon (Embry-Riddle) were the only North players to record a hit with both Farrell and McClinton collected RBIs.
The North's pitching staff struck out 10 batters, as Gens and McCullough each did it twice, while the South walked just two batters and struck out five.