The Valparaiso University baseball team held game one of its annual Fall World Series on Monday afternoon with the White squad defeating the Black team by a score of 11-7 at Emory G. Bauer Field.  

Valpo’s Black team held an early 1-0 lead after the first inning as Tanner Vavra (Menomonie, Wis./Menomonie H.S.) led off with a single, advanced to third on an errant pickoff throw by the pitcher, and scored on a sharply hit single by Bobby Martin (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge H.S.).

After a scoreless second inning, the bats heated up as the White team scored three runs in the top of the third inning. Consecutive base hits by Andrew Bain (Indianapolis, Ind./Park Tudor H.S.), Chris Manning (Lake Forest, Calif./El Toro H.S.), Will Hagel (Arlington Heights, Ill./Prospect H.S.), and Steven Scoby (Delton, Mich./Delton Kellogg H.S.) plated three runs to put the White team up 3-1. However, the Black team answered in the bottom of the inning with two runs to tie the game at 3. Vavra led off the inning with a triple to right and scored on a double by Martin. Martin would eventually score off a RBI single by Elliot Martin (Irvine, Calif./University H.S.).

The White team continued to put runs on the board for the remainder of the game, highlighted by a fourth inning which produced triples by both Manning and freshman Grant Yoder (Fort Wayne, Ind./Snider H.S.).

The White squad was led by Manning who finished the day perfect at the plate going 5-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs scored. Hagel and Tyler Weddington (Orange Park, Fla./Culver Military Academy H.S.) each contributed a 3-for-4 day at the plate and Yoder, Bain, and Scoby chipped-in with two hits each.  Junior transfer Kyle Wormington (Norman, Okla./North H.S.) earned the win on the mound, going four innings giving up just two earned runs and striking out six.

The Black team was led offensively by Vavra who went 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Bobby Martin added two hits and two RBIs and newcomer John Loeffler (Burnsville, Minn./Burnsville H.S.) finished 2-for-4 with one run batted in.

Game two of the best of three Fall World Series will take place on Tuesday afternoon at 3 p.m. at Emory G. Bauer Field.